To Have and To Hold
by KleopatraAlexandria
Summary: After the death of Neal, the occupants of Storybrooke are left to grieve. But the peace doesn't last long as a new threat has emerged even as the town struggles to deal with the Wicked Witch. Somehow, someway, a new Dark One has emerged bringing with him a very different force that the people of Storybrooke has never faced before.
1. The New Dark One

To Have and To Hold

Chapter One: The New Dark One

"So let me get this straight," the former Evil Queen interrupted for the fifth time. "Your daggar just crumbled?"

Rumpelstiltskin was normally a very patient man, when he needed to be. However, with the recent events, namely the death of the very son he had created the entire curse for and being held captive by a crazy green witch from Oz, his patients was about as thick as a thread of spider's thread. If Belle hadn't been sitting next to him, Emma was sure the (former?) Dark One would have fried his former student.

"It's that what I have said for the last ten minutes?" Gold questioned in a sharp, biting tone.

Regina glared and would have retorted if her step daughter hadn't stopped her first. "Why don't you start from the very beginning? Preferably _without_ interruption," Snow White said; the last part of her statement being directed at Regina.

Gold nodded. "I was in the holding cell that Zelena kept me in when, like usual, the green witch decided she wanted to gloat about her plans." Gold paused, his jaw working feverously, his anger as clear as a blue sky on a cloudless day. "This time she decided to taunt me about Bae and his. . . death. After she gloated for a good forty-five minutes, she decided she was bored and ordered me to go and kill. . ."

Belle reached over and laid her hand across Gold's. She gave him a smile before motioning for him to continue.

Gold sighed heavily. "She ordered me to kill Belle, saying that since my son had died, Belle was the only one holding me back from joining her."

Emma snorted in a very unlady-like manner. "Is she stupid or something?"

Gold's lips curved into a thin line, his smile not reaching his eyes. "When she gave me the order, I felt the weight of it for a very brief, agonizing moment before Zelena began to shout. The weight of the order vanished and that was when I realized so had the powers of the Dark One. When I finally turned my attention to my capture, the Kris Dagger had completely turned to dust. After she realized that she couldn't hold me anymore, the coward ran as fast as her high-heeled feet would let her."

Snow's expression mirrored her husband's; a look of complete confusion. "Then how did you manage to use magic?"

Gold snickered. "Magic doesn't disappear. Even if my powers started out as those of the Dark One, three centuries of learning is bound to produce some sort of result. I have a power of my own but it isn't as strong as the Dark One's magic, or as easily accessible."

Emma thought for a moment. "Then is the Dark One gone forever?"

Gold sighed again, his years seeming to catch up with him in a matter of seconds. "That I am not sure of , dearie. A magic like that doesn't simple vanish. In theory, the dagger and the powers should have remained with me until the moment someone stabbed me with the dagger. For the dagger to just disappear along with the powers, even I cannot answer that."

"We need to get to the bottom of this. We don't need my _dear sister_" Regina spat, "to figure something out before us."

"For once, I agree with Regina" Snow said before turning to look at the older woman. "No offense."

Regina shrugged. "None taken."

Emma shook her head. "I need some fresh air," she breathed as she stood up from her desk chair. She looked over at her son. "Don't wander off, alright kid?"

Henry nodded, having enough decency to look guilty.

"Don't forget to take your gun," Charming commented as she walked out the front of the sheriff's station.

The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming simple help up her handheld for them to see before continuing on her way. The cool, crisp autumn air contrasted sharply to the humid, tense air of the room she had previously occupied. It was a welcomed change, especially after the craziness of the Wicked Witch of the West and her poop-throwing pet flying monkeys. Luckily for the group, Henry had accidently found his old storybook while helping Snow (whom he thought was Mary Margret at the time) with clearing out her closet. Being almost nine months pregnant made it really difficult to clean anything. Henry's memories returned, something that overjoyed and saddened Emma at the same time. Overjoyed, because her son could finally go back to the way he had been before, as well as the rest of the town, now that they didn't have to hide their connection with the teen. Saddened because Henry could now remember the man they had all buried just a week ago.

_Now you'll never get you happy ending_, her thoughts taunted.

Emma shook her head, tossing away the traitorous thoughts. Whatever she had had before had died with Neal. It didn't do her any good to dwell on the past. The past only contained painful memories; both of recent events and older ones. Emma was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the person staring at her until she was within ten feet of them. Within a second, her gun was in her hand a pointed at the person standing in the shadows. The light of the street lamp was centered on her like a spot light might be centered on a lead actress.

"What the hell?" Emma blurted out as she realized what she was staring at.

The person in the shadows was definitely male but that was the only thing the savior of Storybrook could say about him. He was dressed in what appeared to be black clothing that was a mix of a fashion from the Enchanted Forest and the Land Without Magic. The most visibly thing about him was the bone white mask he was wearing that covered the top half of his face, leaving only his dark eyes showing. Something silver flashed into Emma's line of vision before her eyes darted to the object in his hand. She had only seen the Kris Dagger a handful of times but the curving, sharp blade was easy to recognize. Unfortunately, the blank side of the dagger was facing her, keeping her from figuring out his name.

"Put your hands where I can see them," she ordered, her hair blowing in the cold autumn breeze.

Instead of heeding her order, the new Dark One simply took a step forward, his profile entering the dim light of the street lamp. His clothing wasn't black like she had originally thought. Dark greens and browns made up most of the outfit but his mask was the exact same shade that she imagined it to be. The white contrasted with the darkness of his clothing and eyes, reminding Emma exactly who she was dealing with.

"If you don't stop, I am going to shoot!" Emma stated, trying to keep her hands steady. Gold, she could deal with but a new, unknown enemy who suddenly possessed the seemingly unlimited powers of the Dark One was not someone Emma wanted to mess with.

The person stopped, slowly tilting their head to the side in an extremely creepy manner. All the crazy scary movies she had seen in her life pale in comparison to the man standing before her. A smirk slowly spread across his face and in that moment, Emma knew; she knew that this was someone she had meet before, someone she knew but she couldn't put her finger on who. It was like trying to catch water with a cup that was filled with holes; his identity completely escaped her. And that scared her.

The man continued forward in an extremely slow manner. Emma started to back up but froze when an arm wound its way around her waist. The hand that held her gun fell uselessly to her side. Whoever this man was, he was able to so easily draw her in and he definitely wasn't letting go. Emma inhaled a shaky breathe was the smirk stretched into a grin before the mystery man leaned forward. The gun slipped from her hand and her eyes fell shut as his lips softly brushed hers, almost like a pair of butterfly wings batting against her skin.

"_Emma_," he breathed and she slowly felt herself drifting. . . only to be brought back to reality by a loud and harsh gunshot.

Emma jerked away from the man with enough force to land on her butt. She mentally took inventory, scanning her brain for any sort of pain or wound that the gun shot had left behind. It was only when Charming ran into the lamp's light, his gun leveled at the retreating form of the Dark One that she realized she hadn't been the target. Emma was shaking severely as her father helped her to her feet. She wasn't even aware that she was crying until Charming began to wipe away the tears gently.

"What the _hell_ was that? Who was that guy?" Prince Charming asked in a quiet tone that didn't reach his eyes for once.

"I-I don't know. I was walking, trying to clear my head when he suddenly appeared. I. . . he. . ."

Charming wrapped his daughter in his arms, slowly leading her back to the station.

"How did you find me?" Emma whispered.

Charming's gaze turned to rest on her for a second before returning to the front. "We heard you shouting for someone to freeze. Henry wanted to run out to see what was going on but, as usual, no one would let him. I grabbed my gun and took out the door before anyone could stop me. I expected to see you facing off against Zelena, which I realize now that it probably would have been a better idea for either Regina or Gold to have come out first. What I _didn't_ expect, however, was to see you standing there, lips locked with a complete stranger."

"Then why did you shoot?" Emma asked, her voice growing steadier as she regained her composure.

"When I realized that you were just kind of standing there, not really doing anything. If it was someone you knew, you would have at least done more that _just that_. I realized he, whomever it was, was a threat to you and acted accordingly," Charming explained, his eyes resting once again on his daughter.

"What happened?"

Emma looked up to see her very pregnant mother running her way, which was more of a waddle than an actual run. Snow immediately wrapped her first born in her arms, gently smoothing her hair in a motherly fashion. Emma's face immediately when beat red as she realized everyone was still in the station. They could no doubt see the tears running down her face and the dirt that clung to her jeans where she hit the ground after wrenching herself out of the Dark One's arms.

"I-I'm fine," Emma assured but clearly it wasn't good enough since Henry launched himself into his birth mother's arms, wrapping his around her waist.

"What happened, Ms. Swan?" Gold asked as he hobbled over, leaning heavily on Belle and his cane.

"She probably should sit down first," Regina commented, surprising the occupants of the room. "She looks as if she is about to collapse."

Emma sent her former rival a thankful look before sinking into her comfortable chair that Hook had brought over.

"What happened, love?" Hook asked in a surprisingly gentle tone.

All eyes were on Emma at this point. Her face was entirely red at this point, the full realization of what transpired hitting her like a ton of bricks. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I was out walking, clearing my head like I said I was going to." She sighed softly, trying to turn the events that just transpired into words. "I didn't even see hit until he was standing about ten feet from me."

"Who?" Belle asked leaning across her True Love to get a better look at Emma.

Emma swallowed the lump that had appeared suddenly in her throat. "The new Dark One."

"What?" Regina shouted as Gold exclaimed "Who is he?" Both shot the other a look that could have killed anyone else, if they hadn't been the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin. Emma's lip twitched, surprisingly glad that some things didn't change.

"I don't know who he is but he _seems_ familiar. Maybe a former enemy or someone from my past? What I do know is he had the same dagger that crumbled on Zelena just this morning."

"Did you see his name?" Regina asked quickly, looking for something to grasp onto despite the strange events.

Emma shook her head. "He had the side of the blade with his name on it facing away from me. What I do know is that he wears a white mask from here" she pointed to the spot just above her lips "to here," she motioned to the top of her head. "He wears dark clothing in different shades of browns and greens, which is a mix of Land Without Magic and Enchanted Forest fashion. He. . . seemed _extremely_ familiar. He was able to somehow make me drop my guard enough to get close."

"_How_ close?" Hook asked, the tone of his voice indicating that he was clearly not pleased.

"I- he. . . well," Emma began, not really sure what to say. She fidgeted in her seat, not at all comfortable with where the conversation was heading. Luckily, her father took that moment to step in.

"When I came upon them, the Dark One had his arms around Emma and. . ." he paused for a moment, to thank of what to say. "He was almost kissing her, he was that close."

Hook stood up abruptly, causing everyone in the room to jump. "Just who does he think he is? Putting his hands on _my_ girl-"

"I think you need to slow down there," Emma said as she slowly stood up. "I am not _your_ girl."

"Swan-"

"No," Emma cut him off. "I do not belong to anyone. _I_ choose who I want to be with, not you or anyone else. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Hook agreed.

"As much fun as I am having by watching you torment the pirate, we need to address the matter at hand," Gold said, drawing attention back to him. "There is one thing all of you should know. When a person first comes into contact with the powers of the Dark One, they are mentally unstable. I have first-hand experience of this. A person's judgment becomes clouded by the things they desire. My own goal was to keep my son safe." Gold looked extremely guilty in that moment. "I ended up pushing him away because I left the darkness get the better of me."

"What are you saying, Crocodile?" Hook asked.

Gold met the eyes of everyone in the room before turning his gaze to Emma, his dark eyes staring into hers. "If this new Dark One has formed an obsession with Ms. Swan like I believe he has, we may not be enough to stop him."

"Then what do we do?" Snow asked quietly after an awkward moment of silence.

Gold sighed again, his expression telling all about his dislike for the next words that left his lips. "I think it's time we need to pay a certain fairy a visit."

**I hope you guys enjoy this new story! I have recently discovered the wander that is Once Upon a Time and have been hooked (pun intended). While I like Hook as a character (Colin O'Donoghue is amazing!), I don't really like the way the creators seemed to have pushed Emma and Hook together all of a sudden. **

**Anyways, just let me know what you guys think of this new story. Please note that I have not abandoned any of my other stories. My notes seemed to have mysteriously disappeared, curtsey of my cat named Elsa. She is a trouble-maker, but instead of ice, she leaves the room a mess.**

**As always, please read and review. I hope to see you guys soon.**

**-KleopatraAlexandria**


	2. More Unanswered Questions

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Two: More Unanswered Questions

Emma sat in her usual chair, her hands wrapped around a hot mug of her favorite drink: hot cocoa with cinnamon. Henry had become bored by all the 'adult talk' and Belle decided to take him to the library after stopping at Granny's for some ice cream. Hook had found a blanket sitting in the closet and wrapped it around her shoulders when the situation finally hit her in full. She sat there, shaking for a good thirty minutes before she finally calmed down. By that time, Gold had gotten a hold of Mother Superior, or as she was known in the Enchanted Forest, the Blue Fairy. The oldest being among them looked extremely worried as Gold told her of the dagger crumbling and Emma relayed her tale of what happened less than an hour ago.

"Have you ever heard of this happening before, Blue?" Snow asked, her hand absentmindedly rubbing her stomach.

Blue tiredly shook her head. "I cannot say that I have. In all the years I have been alive, I have _never_ encountered a Dark One who _hasn't_ killed their predecessor." She paused for a moment before turning to Gold. "No one stabbed you with your dagger at all, correct?"

Gold rolled his eyes. "Would I be sitting here if they did? Of course they didn't, dearie. The only person who had contact with my dagger before it crumbled was Zelena and there was most certainly not any males in the vicinity of her house during the time of my capture."

"So we're back to Square One?" Emma asked quietly as she took a sip of her cocoa.

"I guess so," Regina replied as she sat back in her chair.

After a few awkward moments, Charming nervously cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I'm not sure if it would help any but how was the Dark One first created?"

Snow's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "You think the origins might have the answer?"

Charming shrugged. "Possibly."

"It might be helpful," Gold began, before deadpanning the next part, "but the only thing that is known about the Dark One's origins are the rumors that have been spreading around for centuries, maybe even a few millennia."

"What are some of the rumors?" Emma questioned.

Gold frowned for a moment. "From what I can recall, some people believe that the Dark One was created when an evil Queen crushed the heart of someone she loved but didn't love her in return. That rage that the Queen felt manifested into a dark power that animated the man's corpse. Another story suggests that someone stumbled upon the Vault of the Dark One and opened it, unleashing its powers. Those powers latched onto the only living thing in the area. Another story says that an old man mourned the loss of his daughter and tried to bring her back by dropping her body in the Vault. The power attached itself to the deceased woman and animated her body with dark magic." Gold sighed heavily. "There are more uncompleted stories but those are the only ones that reoccur multiple times."

"Well, shit," Regina cursed as she throw a fireball at the wall, hitting an innocent picture that was hanging there.

"Hey!" Snow shouted.

"Be thankful that is wasn't anyone's face," Regina said as she held her hands up in mock defense, causing Snow to promptly fall quiet.

"We need an attack plan," Hook said for the first time in more than an hour, which Emma thought might be a new personal record.

"We can't attack what we don't know," Regina countered.

"I meant in regards to Swan," Hook said.

Emma frowned. "What about me?"

"Considering you are very likely to be his target?" Hook questioned rhetorically.

"Oh."

"I, for once, have to agree with the pirate. I wouldn't want Bae's spirit to come back a haunt me because I let his True Love get kidnapped by the new Dark One."

If Hook looked offended at Gold's agreement, he look even more so with his comment about Baelfire. "How do you know he was her True Love?"

Gold simply pointed in Emma's direction, more specifically at the necklace she was wearing. "Belle told me that Bae still had that necklace, even when you were all transported back to the Enchanted Forest. In theory, it shouldn't have made the trip, since it was from this world. However, seeing as it is a representation of Bae and Emma's love, their True Love to be exact, it was able to cross the dimensions with him. Only an object given out of true love would be able to cross dimensions twice. Baelfire returned that necklace to Emma the day he passed away."

Blue nodded in agreement, something the occupants of the room found bizarre. "I have to agree with Rumpelstiltskin on the matter. True Love is an extremely powerful magic, especially since Emma herself is a product of True Love. That is probably what makes Henry so special as well. He is also a child of True Love; a second generation, if you will."

"Great, now the fairy believes the Crocodile. Could my day get any worse?" Hook sarcastically asked the ceiling.

Emma's lip twitched at the deadpan response. She was about to comment when Gold's phone went off. Her humor went from minor to uncontrollable as she realized someone had set his ringtone to _A Tale as Old as Time_ from Disney's _Beauty and the Beast_. The culprit was most likely Gold's very own son, before he passed, or Henry. Her laughter was cut short as Gold stood abruptly.

"Tell me where you are?" Gold asked, his voice full of panic. "Ok. We are on our way." He snapped the flip-phone shut. "That was Belle. She said the Wicked Witch has her and Henry trapped in the library."

Emma jumped up with a quickness, grabbing her badge and gun with a quickness. The entire group was out the door in less than a second, heading down the street at full speed.

"There she is," Regina hissed as her eyes locked onto her half-sister's form.

"And she has Henry," Snow breathed as her eyes zeroed in on her own grandson.

The entire group came to a crashing halt as Zelena's grin grew even more in length. Belle was laying on the group less than four feet away from the Wicked Witch, just out of their reach. The beauty appeared to be unconscious and Emma hoped for Zelena's sake that it was just that. Henry stared wide-eyed at the forms of his family. Zelena had a confident smile in place as she tightened her grip on Henry's shoulder.

"Hello, dear sister. I was hoping to see you here," the ginger replied confidently.

"Let my son go-"

"Or what?" Zelena scoffed. "It's not like you can do anything when I have dear old Henry as my hostage." She laughed, a cold and cruel sound. "I believe I have you exactly where I want you."

"What do you want?" Emma asked, her gun level with Zelena's face.

"What I have always wanted." Zelena's face immediately turned sour. "_My_ happy ending."

"Time travel is impossible, Zelena," Gold replied, startling everyone. "You can't get a second chance."

Zelena snorted. "Of course I can. And now, since you are no longer the Dark One, who is there to stop me?"

Regina made a fireball appear in her hand at the very same moment Snow White drew back her loaded bow. Emma's finger tightened just slightly on the trigger of her gun as Charming and Hook leveled their swords at Zelena's face. The green Witch merely laughed.

"How are you going to stop me without hurting your dear Henry?" Zelena taunted, her eyes dancing with laughter.

"Hey Thin Mint!"

Zelena turned, outrage clear across her face before she was knocked clear off her feet, landing more than twenty feet away from her hostage. Henry took that moment to run over to Belle as his mothers ran to his side. The Wicked Witch of the West sat up slowly, her face as red as her hair.

"Who dare to cross me?"

Emma looked up and her eyes immediately zeroed in on the masked figure of the new Dark One. A slightly crazed grin lit the visible portion of his face as he stepped forward into the lamp light.

"Oh, I apologize, _Your Highness_," the man commented with a sarcastic smile and bow. "But you need to realize you cannot touch what is _mine_ without suffering the concequences." At this point, the carefree grin that had graced his face had faded into a frown that sent chills down the spines of everyone who witnessed it.

"And just who the _hell_ are you?" Zelena demanded.

The grin was back in place. "Your worst nightmare."

In the second he finished his sentence, the mystery man was gone and speared right in Zelena's face, his hand wrapping around her throat with enough force to lift her off of the ground.

"Now I am going to say this once and I hope I _do not_ have to repeat myself. Touch my family again, and I will make sure Rumpelstiltskin's wrath looks like a cat fight. You really don't want to cross me," he whispered harshly before dropping Zelena on the cold, hard concrete.

The heroes and villain allies froze when the Dark One turned and began to walk in their direction. Regina created another fireball to throw at the man but was left dumbfounded when he simply grinned and disappeared in a cloud of dark purple smoke. Zelena stood up quickly and disappeared before anyone could react.

"What that the man?" Snow asked in a squeaky voice.

"Uh-huh," Emma nodded.

Snow sighed. "Great. Just what we need. Another lunatic on the loose."

Emma snorted as she continued to check on her son. Belle was beginning to come to as Gold helped her into a sitting position.

"Are you alright, Belle?" the former Dark One asked gently.

Belle gave her True Love a soft smile. "I am now. I was worried what she might do to Henry but I see that you all managed to take her down."

"Actually," Emma began. "It wasn't us that go Henry back. It was the new Dark One."

At the look of confusion on Belle's face, Gold continued Emma's explanation. "It seems that we may have an unknown ally in the form of the new Dark One, whomever he is. He was the one that saved Henry."

"But what I don't understand is why he called Henry his family or what he has to do with Ms. Swan," Regina questioned.

"Maybe he's some nut who has deluded himself into thinking that Emma and Henry belong to him and no one else?" Hook questioned.

"Not likely," Charming countered. "This is the first time you all have seen him, the second time for myself and Emma. We don't know enough about him to be able to conclude anything at this point."

"I agree with Charming on this," Regina commented with a look of disbelief, almost as if she couldn't believe she was saying it. "But I do want to know who he is."

"He may be someone from my past," Emma commented. "Do you remember one of the origin stories?"

"Which one?" Hook asked.

"The one with the Queen." Emma looked over at Regina. "It sounds an awful lot like what happened to Graham."

Regina blanched slightly. "That was more than three years ago. It that was actually how the Dark One was created, wouldn't Gold have lost his powers three years ago instead of now?"

Gold hummed. "It could have to do with the town. Magic works differently here. It could have possibly taken that long to transfer."

"That would explain why he was so familiar," Snow commented. "Graham really cared for Emma and he saw Henry as one of his own."

Emma frowned but didn't comment. The story made sense. The man _did_ seem awfully familiar but not like someone from her past. The familiarity felt recent, but then again that could be from the town's magic, like Gold had suggested. Emma needed answers and she needed them _now_.

**I hope you guys are liking the story thus far. But I have to ask: who many people can guess who the new Dark One is? To answer this, I think I am going to hold a contest. Review for this chapter AND guess who you think he is as well as how and I will dedicate a small one-shot to the person who guesses who it is and gets as close as possibly to HOW he became the Dark One. As always, reviews are welcome but no Flames please. If any flames are left, I will simply use them to fuel my love for OUaT.**

**And another thing: Why do we have to wait for March for the next episode? PM me if you want to chat about the Winter Finale. I need someone besides my own brain to talk to. Until next time!**

**-KleopatraAlexandria**


	3. The Darkness Revealed

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Three: The Darkness Revealed

Henry sighed heavily as he slammed the rather large and dusty book shut, causing the adults in the room to look up. He gave them a sheepish look before getting up and heading to the back of the library. He snuck a quick glance at his mom—Emma—and noticed just how tired she looked. She seemed to be under a lot of stress, with the new Dark One running around and what not.

All of the adults seemed to believe that Graham was the new Dark One. Henry had to admit; Graham's story did match up with one of the supposed origins of the Dark One's curse. Henry had always looked up to the Huntsman when he was younger. He would be overjoyed if Graham was actually back. He was like a father figure to the young boy.

He just wasn't the father figure Henry wanted back.

Henry sighed as he finally made it to the back of the library. His mother—Regina—had cast a protection spell around the library, using Henry as the center of the blood wards. Since Zelena wasn't biologically related to Henry, there was no way she would be able to get past the wards. Which brought Henry back to the whole reason he had slipped away.

Henry checked around the corner. He could see the light of the room where the Charmings plus Regina were working but, unless they were to get up and walk to the doorway, they couldn't see or hear him. Belle and his grandpa had gone home; Regina sending a couple of crystals to set up a similar protection for the couple as the one at the library. It too was based on blood wards. They had no idea was Henry was up to. That was perfectly fine with Henry. He was about to do something that he was sure they wouldn't approve of.

"Neal Cassidy," Henry whispered, almost holding his breath.

The Heart of the Truest Believer waited a few moments, looking around the room before his shoulders slumped.

"Dad?" he tried again, still a little hopeful.

Still, no one appeared and that really began to upset Henry. A thought dawned on him and Henry about slapped his forehead for forgetting it.

"I need to use his real name," Henry muttered, not believing that he forgot something was important as that. He drew in an unsteady breath before letting it out slowly.

"Baelfire," he whispered, a word that was barely audible in the quiet room.

His heart was in his throat, his eyes stinging as he keep back the tears that he knew would fall if this didn't work. Each moment that passed, however, caused his heart to sink lower and lower. His lower lip trembled as he continued to look around the dark room. He bowed his head, tears slipping down his cheeks. He didn't care that he was crying. He didn't care if his mothers were to find him like this. The only thing that he really cared about at the moment was seeing his dad again.

Henry was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even realize that he had back up into the wall, slowly sliding down until his bottom was on the cold floor. He subconsciously drew his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and cried. He was so caught up in his own emotions that he seemed to forget the world around him.

Henry nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. He sighed, "not at all surprised that his gramps had found him, nor was he surprised that the adults had come looking for him. What really surprised him, however, was looking up and realizing that it wasn't his gramps that had his hand on his shoulder.

"Dad?" Henry whispered, not really believing his eyes.

Sitting on the floor before him was Neal Cassidy. His dad's face was clouded with worry as he ran a hand through Henry's hair slowly. He looked just as Henry had last seen him: scruffy stubble graced his face, his warm eyes were bright even when they were clouded with worry, and his hair was the exact same shade as before. The only thing different was the clothes he was wearing. He was wearing w mix of clothing from the Enchanted Forest and the Land Without Magic, an odd mesh up but it seemed to suit him just fine. His hands were comfortably warm as he wiped at the tears on Henry's face. A small wrinkle appeared on his forehead as his eyebrows creased together.

Henry practically threw his arms around his dad's neck, causing the two of them to fall over. Neal simple chuckled lightly, running a hand up and down Henry's back in a comforting manner. The other hand had buried itself in his son's hair. Henry felt the tears running down his face again, this time for a completely different reason. His dad was back!

"Hey buddy," Neal whispered quietly, holding his son in a warm embrace. "Sorry it took so long to answer. Still trying to get the hang of this Dark One business."

Henry shook his head, burying it further into the space between his dad's neck and shoulder. "It's ok. You didn't know," Henry replied, repeating the words from the first time he meet his dad.

Neal gave a watery chuckle of his own. The two didn't exchange words. They just simple sat there, holding each other. Henry really didn't want the moment to end.

"Henry?!"

Neal sighed. Leave it to Regina to call out at the worst possible time. Henry didn't seemed to please either, if the look on his face when they pulled away from each other was anything to go by.

"I think he went this way," Henry heard Emma say, her voice getting closer.

Henry looked over at Neal and saw a mischievous smile appear. He quickly turned to Henry.

"I'll be back. I promise," he whispered before he kissed his son on the forehead.

Henry nodded. Neal disappeared in a cloud of dark purple smoke. Not even a second after the smoke cleared, a switch was flipped, illuminating the room in florescent lighting. Henry blinked, squinting his eyes as he tried to adjust to the sudden change in lighting.

"Henry?"

Henry turned and saw Emma standing in the doorway, the same worry that his dad's face had shown only minutes before graced her features. She took a couple of long steps forward, crossing the room until she sat on the ground in the exact same spot Neal had been moments before.

"Are you ok?" she asked as she carded a hand through his hair.

Henry smiled at the similarities between his parents. "I'm ok."

Emma frowned. "Why were you sitting in the dark?" She looked around the room, as if to find the answer in the brightly lit corners.

Henry looked down at his hands, hiding the smile that spread across his face. "Just thinking about dad," he answered truthfully.

Emma's face fell even more. She gently reached over and wiped away the remaining tears that were left on Henry's face.

"I know you miss him, Henry," Emma whispered as she pulled her son to her.

"Do you miss him to, Mom?" Henry asked as he spied a dark figure hiding behind one of the bookshelves.

"Of course I do," Emma whispered softly, as if she was afraid to admit it out loud.

"Do you love Dad?" Henry asked innocently. Neal raised an eyebrow from his place in the shadows.

Emma was quiet for a moment. "More that you will ever know."

Henry just smiled and hugged his mother, giving his father a smile, one that Neal returned just as easily.

"Emma?!" David said as he ran into the room.

Emma and Henry pulled away quickly.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked as she noticed the panicked look on her father's face.

"Snow's gone into labor," David explained with a pale face.

"We need to get her to the hospital," Emma said as she started out the door.

Henry stopped in the doorway and glanced back at where Neal was hidden. The Dark One gave a nod and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Henry smiled, knowing exactly where his dad was going.

The hospital was chaotic when the Charmings arrived. Whale quickly rushed Snow back into a room, dragging a panicked Charming with him. Regina and Emma, on the other hand, began to discuss a game plan.

"Zelena will no doubt come after your sibling," Regina commented as she leaned against the wall.

Emma grimaced. The idea of her having a younger sibling was still a little odd. "How many more of those crystals do you have?"

Regina sighed. "Not enough. The most I would be able to do would be put a barracked around the room. But then Zelena would try to take a hostage to lure your parents out of the room."

"We could call for backup," Henry commented.

"But everyone is either already here or on their way," Emma replied. She had given Belle a call on the way over and had left Hook a message on his mobile phone.

"Not everyone," Henry said, giving his mothers an innocent look.

"No," Regina countered. "Absolutely not. We are _not_ calling the Dark One here. We have no idea who it is or what it wants."

"He," Henry commented with a frown.

"Huh?" Emma question.

"Mom keep saying 'it'. The Dark One is a 'he', remember?"

Regina frowned but nodded none-the-less. "He, then. We don't need to call him."

_Too late_, Henry thought but keep it to himself.

The Swan-Mills group sat quietly in the waiting room. They were quickly joined by Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. Hook appeared about thirty minutes later, his breath reeking of alcohol and his confidence was on full display, like a peacock strutting and showing off his tail.

"Swan," he slurred as he draped an arm across Emma's shoulder. "What do you say we get something to drink later after your little sibling is born?"

Emma wrinkled her nose. She reached up and quickly untangled Hook's arm from around her shoulder. She turned to speak to the pirate and had to breathe through her mouth to keep from vomiting because of the smell. "I would rather not start drinking when Zelena is currently after my little sibling."

"Brother."

Everyone turned to see David standing in the door, a grin clear on his face as he held the little bundle for all to see. Emma was immediately out of her seat and standing beside her dad, staring down into the sleeping face of her new baby brother.

"He's so tiny," Henry commented as he stood between his gramps and mom.

"He is really precious, isn't he?"

Regina was the quickest of the group to react, slamming her sister into the wall and holding her there in place with magic. Zelena simply looked bored before disappearing into a cloud of green smoke. She reappeared on the other side of the group, looking just a bored.

"Now that wasn't very nice," she drawled. "I was just coming to say hello to the baby."

Emma had her gun drawn and aimed at Zelena in a matter of seconds. "Like hell you are," she replied, her voice shaking from angry. This bitch had already taken away Neal. She wasn't about to let Zelena touch another person precious to her.

Zelena simple waved her hand, leaving David emptyhanded and her suddenly with an armful of a newborn baby boy. She cooed down at him softly. "Isn't he so cute?"

David started forward, only to be stopped by Belle grabbing ahold of his arm. "Don't do anything brash," she said. "She might hurt your son."

Zelena just cackled in response.

_Ok, Dad,_ Henry thought to himself. _Now would be a great time to help._

As soon as Henry got done processing the thought, the baby in Zelena's arms disappeared, leaving the Wicked Witch looking shocked and thrown. Henry grinned when he felt a warm hand rest itself on his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder, spying his dad standing next to him, an easy-going grin on his face as he held Emma's younger brother gently in his arms. Henry nearly laughed out loud.

"What the hell?" Zelena shouted, looking around the corridor, trying to find out where the child had disappeared to.

It didn't take her long before her eyes locked with Neal's. Zelena turned awfully pale, so pale, in fact, that Henry was almost sure that she would pass out. Henry did laugh out loud this time. Of course, that drew everyone's attention to him as well as the person standing next to him.

"She looks like she is about to pass out," Neal commented in a nonchalant manner. "Could she get any paler?" he asked Henry, giving his son a glance.

"I don't know," Henry replied. "She looks a little green to me."

That comment caused Neal to give out a bark of a laugh.

"Neal?" Emma whispered, staring wide-eyed.

Neal gave her a grin. "Hey, Emma. Here," he said as he handed the delicate bundle to her. "Hold your brother. I have a bug to get rid of."

Of course, as soon as the words left his mouth, Zelena disappeared with a scream. Neal plugged his ears and scrunched his face up.

"Damn, she's loud," he complained. "Ow!" he shouted as he hit upside the head by a very pissed off Emma Swan.

"What the hell, Neal?!" she shouted. "How are you even here?"

Neal grinned sheepishly. "I kind of thought you would figure that one out yourself." He reached into the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a very familiar looking knife.

"Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin whispered as he took in the sight of his son and the dagger in his hand.

Neal smiled weakly as he turned the blade for all to see. _Baelfire_ was written elegantly across the silver blade. The former Dark One closed his eyes, fighting against the burning feeling behind them. As much as he loved to have his son back, this was _not _how he wanted it to go.

"Damn," Regina swore. "Guess our theory was wrong."

Neal gave her a very thin smile. He quickly turned to his son and held out the dagger. "Can you keep this for me, buddy?"

Henry blinked in surprise. "Me?!"

Neal nodded. "You."

Henry frowned. "But wouldn't it be better if you gave it to Mom?" he asked, referring to Emma.

Neal just smiled. "I want you to have it." He looked over at his papa. "I know when I was younger, I was able to keep the darkness back for Papa." He turned back to Henry. "I want you to do the same for me."

Henry grinned and took the dagger from his dad.

"You don't seem as mad as you father did when we was the Dark One," Regina commented as she watched Neal carefully.

Neal gave another thin smile. "That's because we're not in the Enchanted Forest. Magic is different here. And, as such, so it the Dark One's curse." He sat down in the chair next to Henry, Emma immediately taking the seat on his other side. "Back home, the Darkness is the most prominent being in the Dark One. While the Dark One retains some of their old characteristics, the Darkness acts like a mold, growing on all of the bad parts and slowly bringing them to the surface." Neal suddenly turned and looked at Charming, a grin stealing across his face. "Thanks for shooting at me, by the way."

Charming, who was holding his infant son, turned red suddenly and began to stutter an apology.

Neal simply laughed him off. "Don't worry about it. I think the sound actually startled me enough to push the Darkness into the back of my mind. It's still there but it's like it's hiding in the shadows of a very brightly lit room."

Emma reached over and took Neal's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Is that why you grabbed me when you saw me?"

Neal looked sheepish again. "Yea, well, the Darkness was a little more in control that I would have liked it to be. I remember waking up and thinking about you. Everything after that until David shot at me is very fuzzy." He frowned and turned to look at Emma. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Emma shook her head. "No. You just startled me a little."

Neal sighed in relief. He stood up, gently letting go of Emma's hand and quickly embraced his father. Emma shared a grin with Henry at the pair, as everything seemed to be going right for once.

Unfortunately, Emma thought a little too soon. With a sudden velocity, the ground shook, nearly knocking everyone standing to the floor. Neal quickly supported his father and Hook even caught a stumbling Belle.

"What the hell is going on _now_?" Emma complained as she quickly turned to David. "Dad, I need you to get back to Mom. Regina, is there any way you can put a protection spell over them?"

"I can do it," Neal replied.

Emma frowned. "No. I don't want you to do anything that might bring the Darkness forward."

Neal rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Emma. A small protection spell isn't going to hurt."

"I'm in agreeance with Ms. Swan," Rumpelstiltskin countered, causing his son to pull a face before sighing in defeat.

"Besides," Emma commented. "I want you to come with me. It could have been Zelena throwing a temper tantrum. I figured you might get a kick out of scaring her again."

Neal grinned in response.

Emma turned to look at Hook. "I need you to run and get the Dwarves for me. Tell Leroy to meet me at the station."

Hook nodded. "Of course." He turned to face Neal. "It's good to see you again, lad. I'm glad you are back, even if the circumstances are not the best."

Neal smiled in response. "Thanks, Killian. That means a lot."

The pirate nodded before turning back to Emma. "Swan," he said as he took his leave.

Emma sighed. "No let's go figure out exactly what that was."

Neal nodded. "I couldn't agree more." He turned to Henry. "Stay here with Regina, ok? If anything happens, do not hesitate to call me."

Henry nodded. He quickly gave both of his parents a hug before going to stand next to his other mother, who smiled warmly at him.

"Ready?" Neal asked, turning to Emma.

Emma smiled. "Of course," she replied pulling her keys out of her pocket. "I'll drive. I would rather you use as little magic as possible."

Neal nodded and followed her out the hospital doors. They had a problem to take care of.


	4. An Enemy Arrives

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Four: An Enemy Arrives

Neal absolutely hated lying. It probably stimmed from when he was a child, growing up for those two years with his father being the Dark One. Neal knew his papa had meant well but he was constantly lying and hiding things from his son, all in hopes of protecting him. Neal wasn't one to ordinarily lie about things. He had always believed in telling the truth and trying not to keep secrets. Sometimes it didn't work but he tried to keep that to a minimum.

This was different, though. This time, he was lying because he didn't want anyone to panic, especially Emma, Henry, and his Papa. Why was he lying and what about exactly?

He wasn't as in control as he had first let on. He had told the truth about when he had first woken up and everything being fuzzy up until David fired his gun. He just kind of exaggerated on how in control he was. Which was why he had given his son the dagger that bared his name. He really hoped Henry could be the one to help save him. Either Henry or Emma. Maybe even his Papa.

It was part of the reason he had given his son the dagger that bared his name. He wanted, _needed_ something and someone to anchor him to reality. He really wanted that person to be his son.

Neal sighed as he leaned back in the familiar leather seat of the yellow VW beetle, trying to calm the voices in his head. He felt Emma slip her hand into his and the voices died down a little, just enough for him to regain control.

There was something different about the magic that swirled within him. Before, when he was sharing a body with his papa, he could feel the Dark One's curse, swirling in his papa's soul, like a black, burnt tar that clung to every bad thought and past action. He could feel the payment of magic swirling around him; the _price_ of every bit of magic that his papa had performed. It wasn't a feeling that he could easily forget, due to the dark nature of the Curse.

The magic swirling just under the surface of his skin _had no price_. And that was what worried him. He had always came to learn that all magic had a price, not matter how small or big the magic being performed was. No matter how far he search into the magic, he couldn't find any inkling of a price or consequence.

Even the magic itself felt different. This magic felt ancient, much older than the magic his papa had used before had felt. It also felt much darker, as if someone had poured an even more potent toxin into his bloodstream. Before, the darkness had felt like an angry, hurt wolf, trying to fight against the light that he had keep in his papa's soul for so long. He had always thought that the darkness outweighed the light in his papa by probably 90% to 10%. In actuality, the darkness only took over about 60% of his souls. It had just festered on all of Rumpelstiltskin's self-doubt and loneliness.

Looking back on it now, Neal wondered how his father would fair if he was in the position his son was in. In Neal's case, the Darkness weighted heavily on his soul, acting like a caged animal on the defensive and a ferocious monster on the offensive. Neal knew that if he didn't have Emma, Henry, and his papa to hold onto, he would have succumbed to the Darkness as soon as he woke up. It weighed on his soul, the dark voices whispering taunts and threats, bringing all of his worst memories to the surface. The thing that continued to play in his mind wasn't a taunt about his father letting him go, nor was it a ridicule for his mother having left him for a pirate.

It was about the night he left Emma and ultimately ended up abandoning the son he didn't know he had. The voice called him a coward, continuously gorging him about how he was exactly like his father and grandfather. Neal bit his lip as one of the voice made a particular nasty jab about how Emma didn't deserve someone as dark and tainted as him.

"Hey," Emma said suddenly, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "Everything alright in there? You look really deep in thought."

Neal opened his eyes, nearly sighing in relief as the voices began to find from the forefront of his mind. "I'm fine," he said. "Just thinking."

Emma frowned. "That's a lie."

Neal snorted, momentarily cursing himself for forgetting about her superpower. "I'll be ok. Eventually," he replied as he pulled her hand into his lap, focusing on the warmth of it in his.

Emma was quiet for a moment. "You're not as in control as you said you were, are you?"

Neal looked out the window, staring at the passing green foliage that made up the forest. "It's getting easier," he replied honestly.

"How so?" she asked as she steered the wheel with on hand, the other lacing her fingers with his.

Neal smiled at her, looking her dead in the eyes. "Because you're here."

Emma blinked, clearly a little thrown by the sheer amount of honestly in his voice. She gave him a soft smile. Neal could tell he accidentally made her uncomfortable. He looked down at their linked hands and bit his lip.

"Hey," she said softly, giving her right hand a shake to get his attention. "I'm sorry if this is a little awkward but just give me some time, ok?" she asked quietly. "There are still some things I have to work out and I don't want to try and commit to something to suddenly. I don't want to get hurt again," she admitted, whispering the last sentence, not quite meeting his eyes.

Neal felt his heart sink a little. Worry began to form in his gut and the Darkness seemed to latch right onto it. It began to show Neal different scenarios of how happy Emma would be if he hadn't come back. It showed him how at peace she was, walking arm-in-arm with Hook, Henry tagging along with a smile on his face, the picture of a happy family. Neal inhaled sharply, closing his eyes to the on slot of images that began to play in his mind's eye.

Emma gave his hand another squeeze, dispelling the images as quickly as they had started. "It's going to be alright," she replied. "You can get through this."

"How are you so sure?" Neal asked, some of his vulnerability bubbled to the surface.

Emma smiled confidently. "Because you have people that are willing to stand behind you. Your father, Belle, my parents, Henry, Hook," she said before trailing of. "And you have me."

The last part was just barely above a whisper, showing how awkward she was feeling for even admitting that. Neal knew that it was an issue of self-confidence. He remembered how she used to get very uncomfortable when they had first been together, always shifting slightly whenever he complimented her or looking away suddenly when he called her beautiful. He knew, if she was really uncomfortable, she would have pulled her hand away. She didn't and Neal couldn't help the genuine smile that spread across his face.

"Who's that?" Emma said suddenly, leaning up in her seat as she slowed the car down.

Neal looked over and noticed a figure walking along the road, heading in the same direction as the pair. Neal frowned. "You've never seen that person before?"

Emma shook her head, pulling her hand out of Neal's as she parked the car on the side of the road. Neal looked back at the figure, a woman, he realized now that they were much closer. Before he even realized it, he was up and out of the car, something in his instincts telling him to go to the woman. He stopped himself as he realized that the instinct was the Darkness pulling at him and his conscious, moving him like a puppet on strings. Neal clenched his teeth, fighting against the pull, ignoring what should have been a natural reaction.

Neal continued to stare at the woman as Emma got out of the car. Something about the woman drew the Darkness forward to the front of his mind, like a siren singing at the top of her lungs. Neal clenched his teeth, trying as hard as he could to push the Darkness back to where he had locked it away. It didn't work, however. Something about this woman was screaming at the Darkness. Something about her was as familiar as it was ancient, wrapping around Neal like an intoxicating smell that he couldn't turn away from, making him dizzy with the desire to be next to her. It was only when Emma slipped her hand in his that he managed to get control of himself enough to push the Darkness back again.

The woman had her back to him, her midnight black hair cascading in knotted waves down her back until it came to rest at her waist. She was wearing a black, tattered dress that fit her in the right places, hugging her curves and accenting the frame of her body. It was only when Neal looked closer that he realized the dress was actually a dark, emerald green with a black overlay.

"Excuse me," Emma called softly.

The woman turned and Neal had to use every ounce of strength in his body to keep himself from walking to her. He clenched his jaw, worried that he might break a tooth with the force he was biting with. He knew he was fighting against an instinct that ran so deep, he could feel it in his blood, in his very soul.

The woman in question was pale, so pale in fact that her skin was almost white. She had a hauntingly beautiful face and Neal couldn't help but compare her to Emma. While Emma had always seemed so alive and energetic, this woman was the opposite. The way she carried herself screamed royalty and a gracious upbringing. Her face was almost like it had been etched out of marble, just as cold and unchanging. The really startling thing about her was her eyes. Piercing green eyes stared into his own brown ones, as if staring directly into his soul. The air around her was electrified with magic, sizzling and cracking against her skin. She was extremely beautiful and just a deadly.

"Are you lost?" Emma asked as she walked forward, pulling Neal with her.

Neal had to keep himself from dragging his feet in the ground. The Darkness inside him was more than happy to get close to this woman. The human part of him screamed that there was something very wrong about her.

"Just a little," she replied. She had an old accent, one Neal hadn't heard for many years. "Could you point me to the nearest village?" she asked, looking at Emma.

"Sure," Emma replied, never once taking her hand from Neal's. "Just keep following the road, heading that way," she said as she pointed in the direction they had just come from. "It will probably be about a thirty minute walk on foot but it's a direct part."

The woman smiled, her whole face lighting up and the Darkness within Neal practically sang. "Thank you," she replied before her gazed shifted to Neal. Another smile quickly took over her features, this one threatening. "Well, this is a surprise," she commented as she walked forward.

Neal took a step back and clenched his teeth tighter. The woman stopped about five feet from him and began to look him up and down. Now that he was seeing her close up, something about her began to pull at his memory, at his human side. He knew that he had meet this woman before. He knew that was well as he knew his own soul. But where he had meet her continued to slip away from him, like water falling through cracks of a broken bowl.

"So the process has restarted, it seems," she commented as she slowly began to circle the pair. "So this is where you disappeared to."

His finger twitched on its own accord, with the desire to reach out and touch the woman. It took everything in his power to fight against the natural instinct. And the only thing that was currently grounding him was Emma's hand in his. Neal clenched Emma's hand tighter, his eyes never once leaving the woman's form. She walked with a calming air, one that quieted the voices in Neal's head. But not the way he wanted it to. Instead of quieting the Darkness, Neal felt his human side quieting, slowly relinquishing control and leaving the Darkness to fester. The woman smiled cunningly as she stopped directly in front of him and Neal felt himself begin to slip under the dark, black water.

Charming sighed as he power walked through the streets of Storybrook. As much as he would have loved to have stayed with his wife and new born son, he knew that he need to be out looking for the source of that earthquake. Emma and Neal had left, saying they'd take the forest part south part of the town that included the forest. Hook had left moments later, heading in the direction of the mines. Regina and Henry had stayed behind, both promising to watch Snow and the baby while Gold and Belle had volunteered to check out the shop to see what they could find to help. Well, Belle had offered. Gold had begrudgingly followed her lead.

"David?!"

Charming turned suddenly to see Ruby heading in his direction, her bright red heels tapping the ground as she practically ran across the street.

"Ruby! What's wrong?" he asked as she finally reached him.

"There are some new people in town," she explained.

Charming swore. Who else had Pan hired before the town had disappeared? He stopped his train of thought as he saw the hesitant look on her face. "Ruby?" he asked, clearly waiting for clarification.

"They aren't from around here. As in, they aren't from this world," she continued.

David stared wide-eyed for a moment before he shook his shock off. "Show me."

The pair quickly took off, heading in the direction of the docks. Charming pulled his phone out and quickly filled Regina in on where he was heading and what Ruby had told him.

"I'll call you when we know more about the situation," he said as he spotted the beach coming into view.

"You had better," Regina replied before hanging up.

Charming rolled his eyes before quickly spotting four figures walking along the beach. "That them?" he asked Ruby.

She quickly nodded.

Charming stared at the four. The first person David saw was an elderly man with silver hair framing his face, ending just above his shoulders. He was wearing a long robe-like outfit of a darker red color with an intricate design down the front. He was shaking his head as two men continued to bicker back and forth.

"I'm saying we should go that way," the blond man said.

"What? And trust your judgment?" the darker haired male countered.

The blond was well built and David could instantly tell he was a soldier, if not a knight. He carried himself with an air of dignity, something David had always seen with Snow. The man was obviously royalty—if the crown on his head was anything to go by—with a handsome face and bright blue eyes. He wore armor that was polished so well, that it almost reflected the sun. Over the armor, he wore a red tunic with the crest of a golden dragon decorating the front. At his hip was a gleaming silver and gold sword that Charming did not want to get on the other end of.

The darker haired man was practically the opposite. While the two were almost the same height, the darker haired man was extremely skinny and seemed a little underweight. He wore a dark blue shirt that had clearly seen better days with a pair of brown trousers and boots. He was wearing a brown leather jacket that was covered in tears and hole with a red scarf around his neck. He had high cheekbones and bright blue eyes that Charming could have sworn were lit up with electricity.

The blond promptly glared at the darker haired man. "I will have you know that my judgment is perfectly fine."

"Oh, yeah?" the darker haired one countered.

"Yes," the royal stated with a note of finality in his voice.

"Then who exactly is to blame for our current predicament?" the other asked, clearly amused.

If looks could kill, the grinning, amused man would be six feet under. "I will have you in the stocks for that."

"You'll have to catch me first."

"I can catch you perfectly fine, thank you."

"Are you sure about that? I know for a fact that, just this morning, I had to put a few extra holes in your belt."

"_Are you calling me fat?!"_

"If you two are quite finished," the last person of the group said suddenly. "We have company."

David took a moment to look at the only woman of the group. She was extremely pretty, with her darker skin and dark, curly hair pulled up into an elegant hairstyle. She wore a lilac and gold dress that accented her waistline and hugged her body. Atop her head was a very pretty looking crown of gold that seemed to match the blonde's. David knew instantly that, if the blond was a king, the woman was a queen.

"State you name and business," the blond stated suddenly.

"Shouldn't that be _his_ line?" the darker haired male countered, only to receive a glare in response.

"No one asked your opinion," the king retorted hotly.

"Well, if you did, I would advise that we _don't_ anger the only person we have seen since we arrived her. It might not end well for us and I would rather not get attack again, thank you."

"You're such a girl's petticoat, _Merlin_," the blond replied.

"Clotpole," Merlin replied smartly.

"And what exactly is a clotpole?" the king asked, getting a little wound up.

"In two words?"

"Yes!"

"King Arthur," Merlin replied with a grin.

"Your highness," the elderly man said before Arthur could hit Merlin. "I think now is not the best time to argue with your servant."

"Of course, Gaius," the king agree, trying to scrape up what dignity he had left. He shot Merlin a look, who simple grinned in response. He turned back to David, who smiled and walked forward.

"Welcome to Storybrook," David greeted. "My name's David or Prince Charming. You can call me David. This is my old friend, Ruby or Red."

"Call me Red," she replied

Arthur looked attentive as he realized he was speaking with another royal being, even if his clothes were a little strange. "Hello, David, Red. I am King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot," he greeted with a nod of his head. "This is my wife Guinevere," he said as he took his wife's hand and lead her to the front.

"She keeps his intelligence level up," Merlin supplied with a grin, causing Arthur to glare and Guinevere to laugh.

"Please," the queen replied with a curtsy. "Call me Gwen."

David bowed in response, his years of noble training with Snow coming back to the surface of his mind. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gwen."

She smiled. "The pleasure is mine."

"This," Arthur continued as he gestured to the elderly man, "is Gaius, our court Physician."

Gaius bowed to David. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

David gave him a wave. "You don't have to bow. I'm only a Prince by marriage. My wife is the Queen of our land."

Arthur looked a little shocked and extremely pleased. "I'm glad to see that I am not the only on to marry outside of nobility. My wife was a handmaid before her brother became one of my knights, raising her status. I wouldn't have cared either way, of course," he supplied as he gazed at Gwen, who smiled back just as softly.

Merlin cleared his throat, bring Arthur back to the present. He shifted uncomfortably, as if he was worried about making himself seem soft in front of everyone. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"And this idiot," Arthur supplies as he gestured to Merlin, "is my manservant Merlin. A right bubbling idiot."

It was Merlin's turn to glare at a grinning Arthur.

"You said you're from Camelot," Ruby asked, hoping to distract the arguing pair.

Arthur nodded. "We are not sure how we ended up here."

"Sure we are," Merlin countered. "It was _your_ idea to chase after Morgana when she clearly was holding some type of swirling black orb. If you hadn't, she wouldn't have thrown it down and I am pretty sure we wouldn't have ended up here."

"You are such a nuisance, Merlin," Arthur complained.

"Well, if I'm a nuisance, then you're a dollophead," Merlin countered.

Arthur stuttered for a moment. "What the—? What is a dollophead?"

"Shall we revisit our conversation on Clotpoles?" Merlin asked innocently.

David chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. Gwen rolled her eyes at the pair and turned to David.

"Is your wife in charge of this town? If so, could you please take us to her? We would really love a way to get back home."

David smiled. "My wife isn't the one in charge. Her stepmother is. But I'm pretty sure Regina would be willing to talk to you." His phone suddenly rang, startling the group. David quickly looked at his phone as Emma's name flashed across the screen. He gave them an apologetic look. "Just a moment. It's my daughter."

He quickly swiped the screen and answered the phone.

"Hey Emma," he greeted quickly.

"_Dad?"_

David felt his blood run cold as he realized his daughter was crying. "Emma? What's wrong?"

"_I don't know what happened,"_ he heard her sob. _"A woman—she. . . I. . ."_

David felt his heart hammering in his chest. His thought automatically jumped to Neal. He really hoped he didn't lose control. He took a calming breath. "Emma. I need you to calm down. Where's Neal?"

David faintly heard someone groaning in the background as his daughter took a few quick breaths.

"_He's here. I think he's hurt. I-I don't know what she did."_

"Who is 'she', Emma?" David asked, trying to remain calm.

"_I don't know. We were driving and saw her walking along the side of the road,"_ Emma explained as she her breath began to quicken. David heard her faintly whispering to someone, trying to calm them down. _"We stopped and asked her if she was lost. The next thing I know, she's walking around us like a vulture. I should have noticed earlier but ever since we meet her, Neal had been acting weird. She stopped in front of him and just stood there smirking."_ Emma stopped for a moment to resume her faint, frantic whispering.

"What happened after that?" David asked, not noticing that the attention was centered on him.

Emma took another shaking breathe. _"Neal just stopped moving for a moment. Before, I could feel him shaking a little but I thought it had to do with meeting a new person and just turning into the Dark One. He stopped moving completely. His eyes. . ."_ she trailed off for a moment. _"His eyes were dead, Dad,"_ she sobbed. _"I don't want to ever see them like that again. It's like some type of demon took over."_

"You're not hurt, are you?" David asked, his voice shaking. Ruby immediately walked closer.

"I'll go ahead of you and find her," she whispered.

David nodded his thanks before she took off.

Emma seemed to be calming down a little. _"I'm not hurt. He wouldn't hurt me."_

"I need you to tell me what happened next," David said as he motioned for the group to follow him. "Red is on her way. What did Neal do?"

Emma made a chocking noise. _"He started screaming. Oh, god, Dad,"_ she cried. _"It sounded like he was dying. I don't know what she did but it wasn't want she was planning on. She looked startled when he started screaming."_

"Are she still there?" David asked, taking a moment to check for his gun.

"_No. Neal teleported us away from her. We're outside the hospital. Wait,"_ David heard Emma pause before there was some shuffling. _"KILLIAN!"_ she yelled suddenly startling David.

David heard feet hitting the ground in quick precession. _"Swan?! What are you— What the bloody hell happened?"_

"_I'll tell you as soon as Dad gets here," _Emma replied.

David heard the phone exchange hands.

"_David,"_ Red's voice sounded through the phone. _"I'm with Emma. Hook and the dwarves are here too. We're going to try and get Neal inside."_

"Alright," David replied as he broke into a run. "I'll be there in a moment."

David hung up quickly and looked back down at his phone, flipping through the contacts page. He could hear the newcomers behind them and cringed slightly when he remembered Gwen was wearing a dress. He found the number he was looking for and pressed send, mentally preparing himself for the conversation that was about to take place.

Merlin really didn't know what to think about this new place. As he ran along the surprisingly smooth streets, he pushed his magic out, trying to get a sense of the area. He frowned. The magic in this place—this world, his magic quickly supplied—was _screaming_ for a price, a payment. It was different from the Old Religion magic of their world. It seemed newer, almost dull and lackluster compared to the magic he had been born with. As his magic spread out across the town, he quickly picked up on a magic that caused him to stumble, nearly falling flat on his face as he ran. The magic that had just brushed his was tainted and burned. Something about the magic seemed dead but alive at the same time. Poisonous, death, decay all swirled around the blackness that his magic had brushed against. Merlin felt himself nearly lose his stomach at the feel of it against his own magic. It was as if, by touching it, he was trying to mix crystal clear water with a black sludgy oil that was trying to corrupt the water but couldn't because the two really couldn't mix.

"What did you trip over?" Arthur asked as he ran beside him, the two trying to catch up with Gwen, who was wearing a dress and still running fast then them.

"Oh, that? That was your ego. It's so big, it nearly mad me fall flat on my face," Merlin replied cheekily, gaining speed to get away from Arthur's hit. He quickly caught up with David, who was once again on the strange, small black box.

"Gold," Merlin heard him say. "We need you to get to the hospital. Something's happened."

David paused for a moment. "No, it's not Zelena. We've got another, possibly bigger problem. Neal's in the hospital."

David paused again, this time flinching violently.

"I don't know what's wrong. Emma said the two were patrolling when they suddenly came across a strange woman."

Merlin felt his blood run cold. His thoughts immediately went to Morgana.

"Emma didn't say much. She was a little too hysterical to say anything," David continued, apparently using the small box to contact someone. Merlin bit his lip. It must be some kind of strange magic.

"I don't know what the woman did but it caused Neal to act strange. Emma said the woman stopped in front of him and he just froze. Next thing Emma knew, Neal started screaming before teleporting them away. Red and Hook were helping Emma take him into the hospital."

David paused again, his face turning a little sour. "I know you don't like Hook but he does care what happens to Neal. You didn't see how torn up he was when we all thought Neal died."

He paused again before sighing heavily. "Just get to the hospital. We'll talk more about it as soon as we make sure Neal is alright." David quickly pulled the object away from his ear and pushed something on the front of it.

"It that magic?" Arthur asked, eying the item intensely before sharing a look with Merlin.

David shook his head. "It's called a phone. It's science. No magic involved."

"So magic doesn't exist here?" Gwen asked, carrying her the skirt of her dress in her arms.

David laughed. "I didn't say that." He quickly turned to look at a tall, gray building that the group was heading to. "We're here," he commented as he gained speed.

Merlin sighed and followed the Prince. Something keep telling him things were about to get much worse than being stuck in this new strange world. And that something worse was definitely liked to the magic that nearly sent him to the ground.

**I hope you like the appearance of the cast of BBC's Merlin. I wasn't a big fan of the Camelot Arc of OUaT. The writers had one job, and that was to cast Bradley James and Collin Morgan as Arthur and Merlin and they completely failed.**

**As far as Merlin goes, the characters are all older than they were at the end of the original show. The ending battle actually happened but Arthur and Morgana didn't die. Gwaine and Mordred are both still dead, sadly. I didn't want to stray too far from the show but I had to have Arthur alive just because it's Arthur and Morgana alive to create a center of conflict. As for their ages, the story takes place about six years after the end of Season 5:**

**Arthur: 36**

**Merlin: 32**

**Gwen: 35**

**Morgana: 37**

**Gaius: 84**

**The rest of the Camelot crew will eventually show up, just give it a little time. Everyone is in Storybrook, they're just scattered.**


	5. More Added Complications

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Five: More Added Complications

Emma ran next to the stretcher that was carrying Neal into the hospital. He was still groaning and withering in pain. There were no obvious injuries that Emma could find but she really didn't want to push her luck. Even though he was the Dark One, Emma didn't want to take another chance at losing him. She had already lost him three times before. No one was going to make it a fourth.

"I'm sorry," one of the nurses said, grabbing ahold of Emma's arm. "You'll have to wait here."

"Like hell I am," Emma replied hotly, trying to push the nurse out of the way. She didn't make it very far before a couple of other nurses pulled her back, stopping her from chasing after the stretcher. She quickly hit a couple of the guys in the shins and pushed the women out of the way before she felt someone grab her arm and pull her back again.

"Calm down, love," Hook said as he steered her in the direction of the waiting room. "They're just trying to see what is ailing him."

Emma jerked her arm away from the pirate. "He needs me, Killian. I can't just sit back and do nothing," she counter, her eyes bright with tears.

"What can you do?" the pirate asked suddenly.

Emma opened her mouth and stopped. There wasn't anything that she could think of that she could do to help him right now. She stared at the pirate, a question clear on her face.

"Look. Emma," Captain Hook began as he put a hand on her arm. "I know I don't have the best track record when it comes to getting between the two of you but this isn't me trying to stop the two of you from coming together. I promised Baelfire that, before all the mess with Pan's curse, I would back off so that the two of you could reconnect for your boy's sake. I hold myself to that promise." He stepped back a little, giving her some room. "I also know that the doctors cannot do much if you are hovering in the room. Let them do their job to help him get better."

Emma's anger deflated. She knew she was taking her anger out on the wrong person. "I'm sorry, Killian. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Hook smiled. "It's ok, love. You're angry and worried. It's only natural to lash out." He paused for a moment, working his jaw. "I'm worried too."

Emma's shoulder slumped. She continued to forget that Killian had taken care of Neal—of Baelfire—before she had even known him. Emma reached out an gave him a pat on the back, not really knowing how to comfort him without it seeming inappropriate.

"What is going on?" Regina asked as she briskly walked down the hall, Henry right on her heels.

Emma groaned as she ease herself into a chair, holding her head in her hands.

"Mom?" Henry asked quietly. "Where's Dad?"

Emma flinched before motioning Henry forward. As soon as he was in arms reach, Emma took his hands in hers and looked him directly in the eyes. She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat.

"When your dad and I were out on patrol, we meet a woman that we have never seen before," Emma said softly. Regina inhaled sharply. "I don't know what she did but she somehow hurt him. The doctors are checking him out right now."

Henry blinked back the tears that began to form. "Is he going to be alright?" he whispered brokenly.

The sight of her son in tears nearly had Emma in hysterics again. She pushed back the burning sensation in her throat. "I hope so. I really hope so," she replied as she pulled Henry to her.

"Emma!" Whale yelled as he ran around the corner. "We need you in here. He's freaking out!"

Emma turned to Regina, who nodded, the two mothers not even having to voice anything. She turned to her son.

"I'll be back. I'm going to help your dad," she said as she placed a kiss on his forehead. Emma ran through the doors, completely trusting Regina to care for Henry.

As soon as she got to the room, Emma could tell that things were escalating quickly. A few of the nurses were on the ground as two guys were trying—and failing—to keep Neal still. Emma didn't hesitate to pull one of the guys out of the way and climb up onto the bed, pulling Neal's head into her lap.

"Neal," she began softly. "I need you to calm down. The doctors are just trying to help you."

Neal didn't reply as he wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and buried his face in her stomach. Emma could feel his body trembling as his warm breath hit her stomach. He was breathing so fast that Emma began to worry about him hyperventilating. She calmly began to run her fingers though his hair and began to rub her hand up and down his back in a soothing manner, like how she used to do whenever he would wake up from a nightmare back in Portland. Like always, the technique worked like a charm. Neal's breathing began to calm as the shaking began to subside. As soon as the shaking had stopped completely, Neal began to uncurl from the fetal position he had curled himself in, unknowingly wrapping his body around Emma protectively.

Emma looked up and saw Whale quietly leading the nurses out of the room before he turned back to her.

"Do you think he will let me check him?" he asked softly, keeping next to the door in order to not startle the new Dark One.

Emma held up her hand. Whale wisely stayed back.

"Neal?" Emma whispered, brushing some of his hair back.

Neal hummed in response, seeming far more relaxed than he had before.

"Can Whale check you? We want to see if that woman hurt you in any way."

Emma felt more than heard Neal sigh. He turned himself slowly onto his back, his head still in her lap, his bloodshot eyes locking with Emma's.

"She didn't do anything," Neal replied, his voice hoarse.

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Emma and Whale jumped while Neal simple looked over at the door leading to the hallway. Before long, the figure of Rumpelstiltskin hobbled in through the door, his face etched with worry and anger. Even though the man wasn't the Dark One any more, people still couldn't help their natural reaction of fearing said man. As soon as his eyes landed on his son, the anger disappeared and the worry took over completely. Belle and David trailed behind him with a group of people Emma had never seen before.

'_Great,'_ she thought as she took the figures in. _'Just what we needed. More new people.'_

"Oh, son," Gold whispered as he hobbled into the room, sitting in a chair on the left of the bed.

"Hey, Papa," Neal replied before he cleared his throat, reaching his hand out to take his papa's. "Didn't mean to make you worry."

"Dad!" Henry said as he ran into the room and quickly climbed up to lay on the bed with his parents. The twelve year old buried himself in his father's arms and rested his head on Neal's chest.

"Hey, buddy," Neal replied softly.

"Who are the new people?" Regina asked as she walked in, pushing Snow White in a wheelchair. In Snow's arms was Emma's new baby brother, fast asleep.

Emma looked up, looking at the people again. David stepped forward.

"This is King Arthur of Camelot and his wife Guinevere, or Gwen for short," David supplied as he motioned to the royally dressed couple. "This is Gaius, the Court Physician, and Merlin, Arthur's servant," he finished up as he gestured to the other two.

"It's nice to meet you," Snow greeted as she held a hand to Arthur. "I would curtsy but I have a baby in my hands. I hope you don't mind settling for a hand shake."

"Not at all," Arthur replied as he took her hand and gently shook it, not wanting to startle the child in her arms.

"This is my wife, Snow White," David supplied before gesturing to Regina. "And this is Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrook."

Emma looked down at Neal, not really caring about the new people. Neal didn't even hear them as his eyes were transfixed on Henry's sleeping face. Emma chuckled. That kid could fall asleep almost anywhere.

"Are you sure you don't need Whale to check you?" Emma whispered, not wanting to wake Henry.

Neal nodded. "She didn't do anything."

Emma frowned. "Then why did you start screaming?"

Neal opened his mouth to reply before he suddenly shut it, his eyes darting across the room to land on the newcomer, Merlin. Emma noticed the man visibly flinch backwards. He sighed heavily.

"This isn't going to go well," he commented as he was Neal stared at each other.

Arthur turned to look at Merlin. "What are you talking about?"

Merlin just grinned. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid."

Arthur frowned. "Now is not a time to joke, Merlin."

"Oh, I'm being completely serious. If you still skeptical, watch," he said before quickly stepping into the room.

Emma blinked in confusion, trying to figure just what was so stupid about walking into a hospital room. That is, until she felt Neal tense up in her arms. She looked down and her heart nearly stopped in her chest.

Neal looked absolutely murderous. His face looked as if it had been etched out of stone and his eyes. . . his eyes were a bright golden color, staring intensely as Merlin walked slowly towards the bed. Neal pulled the sleeping Henry closer to him and rapped an arm around Emma's waist. Emma could hear a growl forming in the back of his throat, almost territorial in nature.

Merlin merely watched the whole thing with poorly veiled interest. "I wonder why he hasn't lashed out yet," he said aloud, slowly coming to a stop at the end of the bed. "I would have expected him to, given his nature."

"Are you an idiot?" Regina hissed quietly.

"Yea, actually," Merlin replied, still staring Neal in the eyes. "I just said I was about to do something stupid."

"Merlin," Arthur said sternly.

"Just a moment, sire," Merlin replied.

"What do you hope to accomplish by putting him on edge?" Emma questioned, her temper raising.

Merlin's eyes left Neal's and that's when all hell broke loose. As soon as Merlin looked at Emma, something inside Neal snapped, sending the newcomer flying across the room and through the glass door. The sound of shattering glass woke Henry from his sleep. Arthur quickly reached for his sword, pulling it from his sheath. But before he could even point the sword in Neal's direction, the tip suddenly got weighted down by an unseen force, causing Arthur to stumble.

"Calm down, sire," Merlin said as he walked back into the room, _completely unscathed_. "I told you I was about to do something stupid."

"That wasn't stupid!" Regina fumed. "That was suicidal!"

"Merlin," Arthur stated sternly. "Would you like to explain what just happened?"

"Mom?" Henry whispered worriedly.

Neal tensed up even more, quickly picking up on his son's worry. Emma shot Merlin a look. But the young man wasn't paying her any attention. He was still staring at Neal, his head tilted slightly to the left, watching the Dark One with interest and confusion.

"Why did he attack Merlin?" Gwen asked, placing her hand on her husband's arm.

Arthur remained quiet, still waiting on Merlin's reply.

"He must have done something to spook him," Hook commented, glaring at the servant as well.

"But he just simple walked up to the bed," Gwen countered, instantly defending her friend. "Merlin didn't do anything."

"I did, actually," Merlin said, still keeping his eyes on Neal's still golden eyes.

"Then what exactly did you do?" Gaius asked, deciding to join the conversation.

"I walked in the room," he replied simple.

"Quit responding in riddles, Merlin," Arthur spat, his temper slowly raising.

"I'm not speaking in riddles, sire. I'm telling you the truth. As soon as I walked in the room, I threatened him," Merlin replied simply. He went quiet for a moment. "I'm going to fix the window," he said slowly, speaking directly to Neal. "I'm not going to touch either of them. Ok?"

Neal didn't respond. He simple watched as Merlin slowly raised his right arm, placing it behind his body. With a twist of his fingers and a flash of gold eyes, the broken window panel righted itself. Emma felt Neal's arm tighten around her waist a little but not enough to be painful. Henry quickly wrapped his arms around his father, causing Neal to relax just a little bit.

"What the _hell _was that?" Regina asked, feeling the shift of magic in the air.

"Magic," Arthur replied simple, watching his servant with interest.

From the shocked look on Gwen's face, Emma knew instantly that the Queen of Camelot had no idea that her friend had magic. The lack of shock on Arthur's face told her he had.

"I know that was magic," Regina replied heatedly. "What kind of magic? I have never felt anything like it."

"It's the Old Religion," Merlin explained calmly.

Emma frowned, lost at what the servant was talking about. She hadn't been aware there was a different type of magic. But judging from Regina, Gold, and Belle's shocked faces, they had.

"I thought it was a myth," Belle said as she walked next to her True Love.

"It's very much a real thing," Gaius piped up. "It is specific to Camelot but the knowledge of its powers have reached other world."

"What's so different about it?" Emma asked, Neal tensing again as she spoke to Merlin. She quickly began to card a hand through his hair again, trying to get him to calm down. This time around, it wasn't working as well as she had hoped.

"It has no price," Merlin explained. "It is also closely linked with the world around you, drawing from the energies of all living things and nonliving things."

"Is that why Neal attacked you?" Snow asked, rocking the crying newborn, who had been woken up by the shattering of glass.

Merlin pressed his lips, his gaze never leaving Neal's. "No. He attacked me because his nature compels him to kill me."

The whole room went quiet, leaving a deafening silence. Emma stared at the blue-eyed man, dread coating her stomach in a thick layer. She swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat. Neal tightened his arm around her waist, sensing her distress as her hand stopped moving. His other arm pulled Henry closer to him, Henry's own arms wrapping around him even more.

"Start talking," Regina whispered quietly. "And while you are at it, who was that woman that put Neal in the state he was in earlier?"

Merlin ignored her. He inclined his head a little, making sure to keep eye contact with the Dark One. "Is there anything you can do to calm him down?" he asked, directing his question at Emma.

"I'm trying," she said, her voice slightly strangled from the lump in her throat. "You are really not making it easy."

"I have a sedative we can give him," Whale said slowly as he held up a syringe. "I was going to use it earlier to calm him down but you got that under control fast."

Emma set her jaw. "Is there anything _else_ besides knocking him out?"

Merlin frowned. "I can try to cloak my magic. It could be what he is reacting to."

Emma saw his face set in determination before a strange rippling of magic flooded the air. Neal tensed again, a growl in the back of his throat as the magic rushed past him, Emma, and Henry. For one tense moment, Emma thought he was going to send Merlin through the newly repaired glass again. Neal's eyes flashed a brighter gold and he literally held his breath, waiting for some form of attack to occur. That moment slowly passed and Neal began to relax. His tight grip on Emma and Henry became lax as his head fell into Emma's lap, his eyes closing with exhaustion. Emma quickly moved his arm from around her waist, drawing her legs up to where they supported Neal's head. Henry untangled himself and stared worriedly at his dad.

"Neal?" Emma whispered, brushing his hair back gently, her fingers running across his sweat covered forehead.

Neal groaned, shutting his eyes tight before opening them. Emma nearly sobbed in relief as his warm brown eyes meet her green ones. "What the hell?" he slurred, his voice groggy and muffled.

"How is he?" Merlin asked, suddenly standing next to the bed.

Emma jumped in surprise, wondering when he had gotten so close. Neal's eyes snapped back open and looked over at the young man. Emma braced herself, waiting for the strange spell to come back over Neal and for his eyes to turn a molten gold again. It surprised her, however, when he just simply looked at Merlin then looked up at her.

"Who is this?" he asked, jerking his thumb in the magic-users direction.

Emma sighed in relief, slumping back against the headboard of the hospital bed. She could practically hear the rest of the room sighing as well.

Neal simply frowned. "What? You act like I tried to kill him or something."

Emma flinched. "That's because you did."

Neal blanched, his face turning white. "What?" he stuttered, sitting up suddenly. "Why?"

"That's what I would like to know," Emma responded, looking back at Merlin with a glare.

Merlin sighed and quickly sat down in an available chair, steeping his fingers together and letting them rest under his chin. He was quiet for a moment, deep in thought, before he looked the room.

"How much do any of you know about the beginnings of the Dark One?" He turned to Neal. "I am correct in assuming you are the Dark One, yes?"

Neal nodded, his face blank of any reaction.

"Only rumors," Rumpelstiltskin replied to Merlin's first question.

Merlin nodded. He looked back around the room. "Everyone might want to take a seat. This could take a while. I would conjure some chairs but I can't use magic without breaking the cloaking sleep. If I do that…" He left the sentence hanging, glancing back over at Neal.

Emma sighed, knowing that this was probably going to take a while. Henry shifted, sitting at the foot of the bed. Neal pulled Emma forward and moved himself behind her, leaning up against the pillows and front of the bed. Emma leaned back with another sigh, this one of relief, taking pressure off of her back that she didn't even realize was there. The rest of the occupants brought in chairs from the waiting room. Emma was really glad that the room they had decided to put Neal in was bigger than the rest of the rooms. She settled herself down for what she knew was going to be a long conversation.

"Start talking," Emma said as everyone got comfortable. "What does the Dark One's beginnings have to do with Neal attacking you, who was that woman in the forest, and _what happened to make him lose control_?" Emma hissed the last part, causing Merlin to flinch.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," he comment.

"Unless you start talking, you're going to be Person Number One," she snapped back. She felt Neal wrap his arms around her middle, one of his hands lacing his fingers with hers.

"Damn, you're scary," Merlin muttered to himself. "I hope you don't mind me answering your questions out of order, starting with the easiest one: the woman in the forest."

"Who is she?" Rumpelstiltskin asked as he wrapped his finger around the top of his cane.

"Her name is Morgana," Arthur supplied. "She's my half-sister."

Emma looked up at Neal when she felt him tense again. He was looking at Arthur, a frown and a look of confusion on his face.

"She is also the High Priestess of the Old Religion," Merlin continued.

"What does that mean?" Regina asked. "Our magic doesn't have a High Priestess. The only thing that comes close it the Dark One," she finished as she gesture to Neal.

Merlin smirked, as if Regina had just told a hilarious joke. "A High Priestess is someone that controls and enormous amount of Old Religion magic. As such, Morgana is definitely not someone you want to mess with, especially with your magic."

Regina bristled. "Are you calling our magic weak?"

"Compared to ours?" Merlin asked. "Yes, I am. Your magic hinders itself by continuously asking for a price and a payment in order to use it. Our magic doesn't have that."

Neal felt himself freeze as the words of the other man washed over him. Emma gently rubbed her thumb in a circle on the back of his hand, looking up at him with concern. He smiled down at her and shook his head, trying to convey that he was fine. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes, causing Emma to frown even more.

Regina bristled again but refrained from saying anything. Merlin took it as a sign to continue. He looked over at Neal.

"What exactly happened with Morgana? What did she do?"

Neal flinched, remembering the pull of his magic and sanity as he got in close proximity with the woman. "She didn't do anything," Neal said for the third time. "Something about the Darkness was drawn to her. Normally, I can keep it back well enough but, being around her, it was like a moth flying around a flame." Neal swallowed, his arms tightening around Emma waist, using the warmth of her body to anchor him in reality.

"Shit," Merlin swore quietly. "What happened next?"

Neal frowned. "I fought it. The instinct. The Darkness kept trying to drag me under. The closer she got, the harder it was to keep fighting." He went quiet for one long, tense moment. "The Darkness finally took over though."

Merlin frowned. "Was that all you remember?"

"For a moment, yes. Then I remember something bringing me back to the surface. A light began to filter in, brushing passed the Darkness. I somehow managed to push myself to the surface." Neal swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then all I remember is pain."

Neal felt Emma flinch, her thoughts drifting back to the memory of Neal's horrifying scream. Neal glanced over at his papa, who looked stuck between wanting to hit something and crying. Neal bit his lip hard, tasting blood.

Merlin leaned forward slightly. "I know why you reached badly to her and why it hurt when you pushed against the instinct running through you."

"Care to enlighten us?" Rumpelstiltskin snapped. Belle frowned and placed a hand on his forearm, calming him down enough to rein in his temper.

Merlin just gave him an amused look. "And while I am at it, I'll answer your last two questions in one go. Everyone might want to get comfortable. This could take a while," he said leaning back. "Now, what rumors do you know about the origins of the Dark One?"

HISNAME…MERLIN! (imagine the last part being yelled by Arthur)

Morgana leisurely walked through the forest of this new and strange world. She smiled, her lips curling into a smirk as she picked up on the trial of someone else's magic. She nearly laughed when she got a feel of it. It was so much weaker than hers, wrapping itself around its owner, twisting and turning, demanding for a payment that the caster _refused_ to pay. It was torn, tattered, and reeked of jealousy. Morgana held her head high and continued her graceful march, heading directly for the magic.

The High Priestess walked out of the woods, into a small hilled clearing with a white building situated in the middle of it. Morgana tilted her head to the side, studying the small area. She sighed heavily. It would have to do for now.

"Who the hell are you?"

Morgana turned and saw a pale woman standing a little away from her. She was wearing a black dress that ended at her knees, a short black cloak, and some strange sheer fabric around her legs. A small black hat was perched atop a mess of red curls as dull, hate-filled green eyes glared at her. Morgana simple raised an eyebrow, immediately picking up on the weak, withered magic that swirled around the woman. She smirked in response, not even bothering to answer.

The woman went red in the face, clearly not pleased at being ignored. "I asked you a question and you will answer me when I am talking!" she shrieked, waving her hand and sending a wave of magic directly for Morgana.

The High Priestess simply raised her hand, dispelling the weak excuse of a spell without a thought. A shocked looked passed across the other woman's face before she found herself in midair, gasping as an invisible force held her by her throat.

"That wasn't very nice," Morgan said, hand still in the air as she walked leisurely towards the other woman. "And it wasn't very bright." She calmly dropped her hand, letting the other woman hit the ground hard.

She gasped for air, both from being choked and having what breathe she had in her lungs getting knocked out of her as she impacted the ground. She laid there for a moment before she scrambled to her feet, her hand holding her bruised throat.

"Who are you?" she asked again, much softer this time.

"That's better," Morgana replied with a smile. "I am the Lady Morgana, future Queen of Camelot. And you are going to help me get what I want."

The woman frowned. "What's in it for me?"

Morgana smiled, knowing she had the woman wrapped around her finger. "Let's go inside, shall we? I fancy a spot of tea."

The woman nodded and quickly led Morgan up the small set of stairs and into the building.

"Please have a seat," she said as she gestured to the chair.

Morgana gracefully lowered herself, sitting like a Queen on her throne. "What is your name?"

"Zelena, ma'am," the Wicked Witch responded quickly, conjuring a fresh pot of tea. Zelena didn't want to get on this woman's bad side again.

"Zelena," Morgan said, testing the name. "I have a proposition for you Zelena. You help me get what I want and then I will help you get what you want." She smiled cunningly. "What is it you want exactly?"

"To go back in time," Zelena answered honestly. "Go back and stop my mother from abandoning me."

Morgana nodded. "I can help you with that. My magic is different from yours." She stopped suddenly. "There is also someone I wish to find in the past as well," she commented, her eyes turning soft for a moment. She quickly shook her head, composing her features into a cool mask.

"What is it that you want?" Zelena asked hotly, flinching when she received a glare from Morgana. "My lady?" she added, worried she'd get attacked again and quickly handed Morgana a cup of tea.

"My brother has taken my rightful place on the throne of Camelot," she explained as she took a sip of the tea, wrinkling her nose at the watery taste. She quickly sat the cup down.

"With all due respects, how do you hope to accomplish that?" Zelena asked cautiously.

Morgana smiled, baring her white teeth in an almost threatening manner. "With my pet, of course."

"Your pet?" Zelena question, leaning back. "What is your 'pet'?"

"Not what. Who," Morgana corrected calmly. "I believe you know him as the Dark One?"

"Of course," Zelena replied, her mouth slightly open. "How do you hope to get his dagger?"

Morgan smiled. "I have my ways." Her smile dropped and she clenched her hand into a fist. "I have a little problem to take care of first."

Zelena frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I almost had him earlier but the little blonde pest beside him brought his consciousness back to the surface. I need to be rid of her or she will hinder my efforts."

"Oh, _her_," Zelena smiled. "I know all about little Ms. Emma Swan," she snared, her lip curling over her top lip.

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

**This chapter is a little shorter in length, compared to the last one but I felt this was a good stopping point. The next part of the events had a long conversation that I believe will work better in the next chapter. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 were all originally one chapter together but due to the in-depth conversations and need-to-be-detailed events, I felt like I should break it up into different chapters. If not, that one chapter would have been over 15,000 words and still continuing into the next chapter. I hope everyone isn't too disappointed. **


	6. More Troubles Arise

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Six: More Troubles Arise

Merlin listened as the group began to tell what they knew: from the story of the rage filled queen to the tale of the broken hearted parent. He raised an amused eyebrow and let out a low whistle when the group was done.

"Those are some really interesting rumors," he supplied glancing at Arthur, who was sitting to his left. "None of them close to the truth, however."

"Then how did the first Dark One come about?" Emma asked quietly, feeling Neal's hand tighten in hers. "And how are you even sure what you have heard isn't a rumor or made up tale?"

Merlin smiled. "I know for a fact that what I am about to say is true because the Dark One isn't from the Enchanted Forest." He paused for a moment, looking around the room. "The Darkness originally came from Camelot."

The room fell into a stunning silence, each person staring at the warlock intensely. He simply smiled in response.

"Let me start from the beginning. Have you ever heard of the Druids?"

"Only in myths," Regina supplied.

"They are very real," Merlin said. "There is a Druid prophecy that has been circulating for a very long time, probably a couple of millennia. In this prophecy, the Druids speak of a being called Emrys who will bring magic back to the land. To the Druids, Emrys is considered to be a god-like figure, who is the embodiment of magic. A long time ago, a High Priestess became obsessed with the idea that Emrys was going to come after her and kill her. She began to plot and scheme, bringing together all of the darkness that she could and housing it in a Vault, locking it away with a special key until the time came that she would need it," Merlin relayed, aware that all eyes were on him.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "the Darkness began to push against her, fighting its cage and trying to break free from the Vault. It got loose, nearly killing the High Priestess in the process. She managed to tether the Darkness to a person; a man from her past that she couldn't stand the idea of being without."

"In doing so, she created the first Dark One," Regina said, crossing her arms as she shifted in her seat.

Merlin smiled. "She did more than just that. Since the Darkness had already rebelled against her before, she searched for a way to keep it from happening again. She tethered the Darkness to her magic, to the magic of all High Priestesses. In doing so, the Dark One became a being of her control, never once being able to resist the pull of her magic as it was a part of its own."

Neal froze, remembering the pull that washed over him as he and Emma first laid eyes on the woman in the forest, this Morgana. He remembered the feeling of the Darkness trying to drown him, pushing and pushing until he almost gave in.

"She said something about the process restarting," Emma said, snapping Neal out of his own dark thoughts.

Merlin hummed. "I'm not really sure what she meant with that. Originally, the Dark One was a being of Old Religion magic. As time when on, the High Priestess lost control of the Dark One when the dagger used to control them exchanged hands. After a while, the Dark One managed to disappear from our land, somehow ending up in the Enchanted Forest. As different Dark Ones took over and the dagger exchanged more hands, the magic of the Darkness changed, adapting to the magic around it." He paused and looked at Neal. "How does the magic of the Darkness feel? I would ask if it feels any different from before but seeing as you wouldn't know that—"

"It does feel different," Neal said, cutting him off. Merlin frowned in confusion. Neal gestured to his father. "Papa here was the Dark One before me." Gaius, who had been sitting quiet suddenly frowned in thought. "We shared a body for a little bit and I could feel the Darkness surrounding his soul. It's different then it was before. There is no sense of a price."

Merlin frowned even more. "How is that possible? The Darkness only ever exchanges hands if the previous Dark One is stabbed with their dagger, killing them." He paused for a moment before looking at Neal. "How did you become the Dark One?"

Neal opened his mouth to say he didn't know but words tumbled out before he could even think about them. "I opened the Vault."

Merlin paled dramatically. He swore and quickly crossed his arms. He looked Neal directly in the eyes. "Why?"

"I wanted my family back. Papa had sacrificed himself for us and I needed to get him back."

"Neal nearly died," Emma continued, looking back at him. "We thought he was dead before a couple of days ago. A book Belle has said that the person that opens the Vault to resurrect the pervious Dark One pays the price of their life."

Merlin rocked back and forth in his seat. "Something isn't adding up. 'The process has restarted'," he repeated quietly. "Normally, the Vault does take the person's life in exchange for the previous Dark One being returned but why would it suddenly revert back to the Old Religion magic?"

"This is very troublesome if Merlin doesn't know the answer," Arthur states, looking worried.

"He isn't that old," Regina said. "Maybe a little older than Emma but how could he possibly know enough to make it trouble you when he _doesn't_ know something?"

"He's Emrys," Arthur supplied, stunning the group.

Emma felt Neal tense up again and quickly turned to look at him. His eyes flashed gold for a moment before he closed his eyes, inhaling sharply through his nose. Emma quickly maneuvered herself around to where she was sitting next to him, running a hand across his back. She placed a kiss on his temple as she ran her hand though his hair. Merlin suddenly looked up, startled.

"Oh," he breathed. "I see now."

Emma looked at him questionably. He simple shook his head, a smile on his lips.

"You're…" Regina said trailing off, completely stunned.

"Don't say _that_ name," Neal hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes shut tight.

Emma looked at him, worry clear on her face. Henry scrambled across the bed, placing himself in his Dad's lap and hugged him around the middle. Neal seemed to relax a little, enough to open his eyes and calm his breathing.

"Noted," Arthur replied, noticing the way his eyes were flashing gold. "We won't speak of it again."

"Is that why he attacked you?" Belle asked, watching the young man she considered family with caring eyes.

Merlin hummed again. "Technically, he should have attacked me the moment he laid eyes on me."

Emma frowned. "But he didn't. He didn't attack until you got close to him."

"Not quite," Merlin countered. "He didn't attack until I looked at you."

Emma blinked. "Huh?"

"Theoretically, he should have attacked me the instance he felt my presence near him because it is in his nature as the Dark One to kill…me." He winced, almost letting his Druid name slip. "However, instead of doing so, he sense a threat and automatically began to protect the two people that are the closest to him."

"Henry and Emma," Rumpelstiltskin breathe, remembering how tense his son had been as he wrapped a protecting arm around his son and his son's mother.

"Normally, the Dark One doesn't have anyone to protect, other than itself. By design, the Darkness destroys all types of love, eating away at it and turning it to hate."

Rumple frowned. "It didn't do that with me. I still fell in love with Belle."

"That's because, when you were the Dark One, the Darkness had already distorted. With Neal here," he said as he gestured to the man, "the Darkness is back in its original form. At first, I couldn't figure out why he wasn't attack. I thought it strange that he was trying to protect two people instead of doing what his very nature should have been telling him to do. That is until just a moment ago," he concluded, looking at Emma.

"True Love," Snow supplied, looking hopeful.

Merlin nodded. "True Love is the most pure of magicks. Its power is known throughout the different realms. Normally, the Dark One wouldn't be able to have a True Love, let alone find someone to care for. This case is different. Since he and Emma became True Loves before he was the Dark One, that magic carried even when the Darkness took over.

There is another thing," he said, steeping his fingers together. "True Love stims from a very old version of Light Magic, one of the most powerful and organic parts of the Old Religion. Before the High Priestesses turned dark, they were the ones who watched over Light Magic and those who were affiliated with it. The very first High Priestesses were beings of Light Magic themselves." He looked to Emma. "And you possess a high amount of that magic. Why is that?"

"She's a product of True Love," Rumpelstiltskin supplied. "Her parents," he gestured to Snow and David, "are True Loves and she is the result of that love."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Do you realize how rare that is? While it is rare to have a True Love, it is even rarer for a child to be brought out of the connection."

Regina frowned. "Why is that?"

"_Because_ it is Old Religion magic. Those who study the Old Religion are powerful in and of themselves. But those who are born of it, they are another category of their own." Merlin paused for a moment. "I am just going off of what I have read in the past from books by the Druids but, according to them, it is almost impossible for a child to be born of True Love. That isn't to say, however," he said quickly, noticing the looks on everyone's faces, "that people who are True Loves can't have a child or two." He gestured to Emma and her new baby brother.

"I don't believe I am following," Regina said as she crossed her arms.

Merlin huffed. "Not every child born to a couple who are True Loves is considered to be a product of True Love, which is basically an embodiment of Light Magic. The reason it is so rare is because the magic of the child has a very high chance of killing the mother."

Snow inhaled sharply, her hand automatically grabbing Charming's in a death grip.

Merlin looked apologetic. "I'm not trying to scare you. I assume that you had a hard pregnancy with Emma?" Snow nodded quickly. "That has to do with her magic. Light Magic is really hard to contain, especially in a child. My own mother almost miscarried multiple times while she was pregnant with me. Since Emma is already born, you can't have another child born of True Love. You aren't at risk."

The two automatically looked relieved and Emma honestly couldn't blame them. She stopped for a moment. "But Henry is also a child of True Love. I didn't have a hard pregnancy with him."

Merlin grinned. "That's because you already possess Light Magic. It was already in your blood, your soul. Henry's magic, which he definitely has," he added, smirking, "is also made up of the same light magic. Since you were already born of it, the magic isn't something foreign to you. It wouldn't be a risk for you."

He looked Neal dead in the eyes, changing subject suddenly. "Emma is what kept you from completely going under Morgana's control. She is also what keep you from trying to kill me on sight," he said nodding to Emma.

Neal remained silent, looking away from Merlin's gaze. His arms tightened around his son, holding him close.

"As long as Emma is around then, he can fight it," Hook said, sounding relieved.

"Shouldn't you be sobbing in a corner?" Rumpelstiltskin all but snared. "We basically just confirmed that my son and Ms. Swan are meant to be together, which puts you out the back door."

Belle slapped her True Love's shoulder. "Rumple!" scolded.

Hook simply glared in the former Dark One's direction. "I think you seem to forget that I care about the lad's well-being more than I care about some little feud we had going on. Besides," he said, looking over at the man he could have considered to be a son if he hadn't thrown the chance away, "I back out of that race a long time ago."

"As dandy as this is," Merlin piped in, "I don't think fighting this is the best option."

"Why not?" David asked. "If he can fight the Darkness off, shouldn't he do just that?"

"If he wants to die, sure, by all means," Merlin replied sarcastically. "You saw what happened when he tried to fight Morgana's presence. What do you think will happen if he fights a direct order?"

"You can fight her back, can't you?" Red asked. "That way she doesn't give a command."

"Besides, she needs his dagger," Regina added.

Merlin shook his head. "She can command him, even without the dagger. With the dagger, there is no chance of him fighting back. Also," he said, leaning back into his chair, "I can't use my magic while I have the block up. As soon as I even cast a simple spell, the block breaks and the Darkness will sense my magic." He looked over to Neal. "It will attack again and Emma might not be around to stop it."

"If she can," Gaius added calmly. "It will become harder as time goes on to get rid of the Darkness."

"What about True Love's Kiss?" Belle asked hopeful. "It almost worked before." She gave Rumpelstiltskin's hand a firm squeeze.

"Maybe on the weakened version of the Dark One, not on this regenerated original version of the Darkness," Merlin said. "It will take more than True Love's Kiss or an act of True Love."

"But True Love's Kiss can break any curse," Snow counter quickly.

"Exactly," Merlin said, pointing in her direction. "It breaks _curses_. The Darkness isn't a curse any more. It's an entity, a magic that was created through very old and powerful Old Religion magic by one of the older High Priestesses. When it weakened and moved to your world, it changed from an entity to a curse, allowing it to disappear from your world completely."

"Then how do we fight it?" Regina snapped, getting thoroughly pissed off.

"I don't know," Merlin answered honest. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at the confused face. "Don't look at me like that. I may be _that person_ but it doesn't mean I automatically know everything. I'm not hundreds of years old. I'm only thirty-two."

"Can't you just teach me your magic? That way I can fight against this Morgana if she shows up while you are around Neal" Regina said, crossing her legs.

Merlin shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"And why not?" Regina snapped. "I am more than capable of learning, thank you very much."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I'm not insulting your ability to learn, Regina. I can't teach you because you _can't_ learn it. It is too different from the magic you already use. It will clash violently and probably even tear you apart. It's like trying to mix fire and oil and hoping it doesn't explode."

"Then what do we do?" Emma asked, her voice wavering as Regina sat back in her seat with a huff. "We can't just sit back and do nothing until this Morgana tries to show up again. I can't keep…" she trailed off. "I can't keep losing him," she whispered, her head bowed and her eyes stinging with tears.

Neal wrapped her in his arms. "You won't lose me," he whispered as she buried her face in his chest. "I swear to God, Emma, I am _not leaving_. Not again." He swallowed suddenly, unable to continue, his throat and chest tightening.

"We aren't just going to sit back and do nothing," Merlin replied softly. "Our first order of business is figure out how the Darkness suddenly regressed. That may be our key to finding a way to get rid of it."

"So, there is nothing you can think of?" Rumple asked, his tone stern, a sign that he was worried and about to lash out.

"The only way that I currently know of is for Morgana to pull the Darkness out of him. And I don't see her complying to any of our requests anytime soon."

"Damn it," Regina hissed. "Ok. So the best thing we can do is keep Neal as far away from her as possible, right?"

Merlin nodded. "But we run into the problem of where he will go. Morgana can sense him anywhere he is."

"And you can't use your magic to stop her either if Neal is in the direct vicinity," Arthur said calmly.

"Can I just ask something?" Gwen said suddenly before turning to her husband and his servant. "How long have you had magic?" she asked as she pointed to Merlin then pointed at her husband. "And how long have you known?"

Merlin grinned sheepishly. "I was born with it. Arthur only found out after the Battle of Camlann, when I had to save his arse again."

"And what a shock it will be when the knights find out that the old man that bet them up was actually you," Arthur smiled before frowning. "Speaking of which, who all actually came over with us?"

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know."

"Can we continue this conversation tomorrow?" Whale asked suddenly. "Neal is still technically my patient and I would like to check him over and let him get some rest. It is getting rather late," he said while looking at the clock, which read 10:58 pm.

"Of course," Merlin said as he stood from his chair. "Besides, I don't know how much longer I can hold the cloaking spell up."

Emma frowned. "The Darkness won't attack you as soon as you let it down, will it?"

Merlin shook his head. "It only does so if I am in the immediate vicinity. As soon as I am far enough away, I will drop it." He looked over at Neal. "He'll be fine."

Emma released the breath she was holding. She looked up at Neal and gave him a small smile, which he managed to return hesitantly.

"Does anyone know a place we can stay?" Gwen asked as Arthur helped her out of her chair.

"I'll show you the way to Granny's," Regina offered before turning to Henry. "Come on, Henry. It is past your bedtime."

The twelve year old groaned. "But I want to stay with Dad," he whined.

"Henry," Neal said sternly, causing his son to look over at him. "Listen to your mother. I'll be here in the morning."

Merlin frowned. "Isn't he your son?" he asked, pointing to Emma.

Emma snorted. "Yea. I'm his birth mother. Regina is his adopted mother."

"Don't even get us started on a family tree," Regina added, rolling her eyes. "It gets way too complicated, way too fast."

"Merlin," Emma said suddenly, sitting up. "You said that True Love is a form of Old Religion, right?"

Merlin nodded.

"And since I am a product of True Love, I possess Light Magic, right?"

He gave another nodded, brows scrunched together, not really sure where the conversation was going.

"Then shouldn't you be able to teach me Old Religion magic? I already have it running through me. It shouldn't be too hard," Emma finished looking hopeful.

"Oh. Oh!" He smacked his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"So we do have a fighting chance," Snow breathed in relief.

Neal groaned and slide down further in the bed, holding his head with his head. "Could we possibly hold this conversation tomorrow? You know, _before_ that cloaking spell of yours drops?"

Merlin paled a little, not realizing his grip on the spell was slipping. Even though he had been using magic for a while, it was still hard to keep a power spell like that up for a long period of time. Regina put a calming hand on his arm. "I'll teleport us out of here. It will be faster."

Henry gave his parents a quick hug before scrambling to stand next to his mother. Regina waved her hand and the group disappeared with a cloud of purple smoke. As soon as Merlin was out of range, the pained look disappeared from Neal's face.

"You moron," Emma breathed. "You know what he said would happen if you continued to fight it."

"Yea, let me just let my guard down and attack the warlock, potentially hurting others in the process. That's a great idea," Neal snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm and frustration.

Emma raised an eyebrow, looking down at him. Somehow, his head was in her lap again and her hands were threading through his hair. Neal sighed heavily.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Emma just waved him off. "You're exhausted, worried, and hurt. I think you are entitled to be a little snappy."

Neal shook his head. "Maybe but not with you. You didn't do anything to deserve it. You were just worried and I let my anger get the best of me."

"I disagree. But," she said as he opened his mouth to argue, "we'll argue about this in the morning. Right now, Whale needs to check on you to see if there is any damage from you fighting off the Darkness and Morgana's pull."

Neal frowned suddenly, his eyebrows drawing together.

"What?" Emma asked quietly. "You have your 'I'm trying to figure something out' face on."

Neal was quiet for a moment. He turned to look at his Papa. "We've never been to Camelot before, right?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "It's in a different realm and we never traveled to other realms before…" He trailed of, looking ashamed.

Neal reached out and took his Papa's hand. "It's ok," he whispered. "I forgive you. You know that."

"It doesn't make hurt any less," the former Dark One supplied, holding onto his son's hand like a lifeline.

"Why did you ask about Camelot?" Hook questioned as he leaned up against the wall.

Neal coughed, wincing as the air hit his dry, aching throat. "That woman…Her name just sounds familiar, like I should know it from somewhere. _She_ seemed familiar." Neal's face suddenly softened, as if he was thinking on a fond memory.

Emma bit her lip as she felt something foreign bubbling up in her chest. She really couldn't place the feeling but she knew it wasn't something she wanted to feel. The, with a lightning revelation, it hit her: she was jealous, jealous of Neal thinking of another woman. She frowned, her thought going to figuring out what her feelings were for Henry's father.

"But you've never been to Camelot before," Belle said calmly.

Neal shook his head, looking over curiously at Whale, who was checking the machines they had hooked him up to when he first arrived. That had been before his freak out when he couldn't find Emma. "I _know_ I've never been there before, especially after landing in Victorian London when I first arrived to the Land Without Magic. Not even seven months after that, I splashed into Neverland."

"Splashed?" Whale parroted, surprised. "You swam to Neverland?"

Neal gave a shaky laugh. "No. Pan's shadow was carrying me through the air. I managed to get it to drop me. I landed in the water, near Killian's ship."

"He would have drowned if he landed anywhere else," Hook supplied, lost in memory. "The impact of the water knocked him unconscious. My crew fished him out of the water and he regained consciousness as they were pulling him up."

The group went quiet for a moment as Whale began to check Neal's vitals. Emma stayed as still as possible, not wanting to mess anything up just be moving.

"I can't find in abnormities. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary," Whale said finally as he stepped back. He looked at the group. "I hate to bring this up but visiting hours are technically over and the most I can do is let one person stay in the room with him. Sorry," he added sheepishly, looking at the four people in the room.

"It's alright," Hook replied. "I was just about to leave. Just wanted to make sure the lad was alright." The pirate nodded at the couple sitting in the chairs before looking at Emma. "Swan," he said giving her a nod before looking at Neal. "I expect you to be better by the morning. I don't want to hear about any late night…what do they call it…partying," he smiled, his eyes teasing.

Neal barked a laugh. "Sorry. No parties for me, thanks. That's your area of expertise."

Hook nodded and quickly made his way out of the room. Charming walked over and placed a kiss on Emma's head. Snow reached out and gave her daughter's hand a squeeze. "I have to get back to my room. I'll see you both in the morning." She looked at Neal and smiled kindly. "Thank you. If you hadn't stepped in earlier, Zelena would have taken my son from me."

Neal smiled. "It's the least I could do. After all, I'm the reason you were separated from Emma in the first place," he trailed off, one of his worst demons rearing its ugly, vile head. "If I hadn't listened to Blue and opened that damn portal, Emma would have grown up with her parents, having the normal life she should have had." He looked at the wall, refusing to meet Emma's worried gaze or to see the pained look that his father had on his face.

Snow frowned, an expression that was very oddly placed on her face. "I don't place the blame of coming to the land on you. Nor your father," she said as she looked at Henry's other grandfather. She turned back to Neal, a smile still on her face as she gently reached out and took his hand. "As strange as it sounds, I probably would never have met David if your father hadn't gone looking for you. Emma wouldn't have been born and we would have never had the chance to meet Henry."

Neal swallowed, his throat burning as he fought back tears. He had always blamed himself for everything wrong that had happened to Emma and her family. He hadn't thought about the actual real outcome of him never using the bean that the Blue Fairy had given him. He held on to Snow White's hand for a moment, looking her dead in the eye, her honesty and gratitude reflecting in them as plain as day. He nodded his head, unable to utter a word as his emotions ran high. He had never expected Emma's parents to forgive him for being the reason the Curse was cast in the first place. Nor had he expected to see the looks of approval he received from Emma's father, especially not after he had abandoned her, leaving her pregnant and lone.

"Thank you," he whispered finally, a weight seeming to lift of his shoulders as the Charmings smiled at him.

The couple with their new born gave their daughter one last peck on the head before David wheels his wife out of the room, the two cooing over the gurgling infant in Snow's arms.

Rumpelstiltskin stood, holding his hand out for Belle. "We'll take out leave as well."

Emma sat up, looking confused. "Wait," she stuttered, holding her hand up. "I thought you were going to stay. I can take Belle home."

Neal felt dread weld up in his chest at the thought of Emma leaving. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with his Papa. Just the opposite, in fact. But, he knew the Darkness would rear its nasty head if she so much as left the room, let alone took off across town. He remained quiet, however, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't going to make her stay. If she wanted to leave, she was more than welcome to. His chest began to ache at the thought.

His Papa shook his head, however, before Emma could even get up from the bed. "I would feel better if it was you that stayed with him as opposed to me. He seems to do better around you." Mr. Gold smiled gently. "You keep the Darkness back. And I cannot thank you enough."

Emma felt at a loss for words. Her eyes began to sting. She really hadn't wanted to leave Neal's side but she felt that she owed it to Rumpelstiltskin to give him time with his son. She hadn't thought to save him with True Love's Kiss while he lay dying in the forest, having been tricked by Zelena into trading his life for his father's. Hell, she hadn't even known that they were true love until Belle mentioned the swan necklace that Neal had keep with him in the Enchanted Forest and had given back to her that day in the woods.

"You both need some rest," Belle smiled, draping her arm through Rumple's. "We'll see you both in the morning. They exited the room, leaving the pair sitting on the bed, each lost in their own thoughts.

Emma cleared her throat. "I'll see if Whale can get another bed in here." She made to stand but stopped when a warm hand wrapped around hers.

"This bed is plenty big," Neal replied softly. "There isn't a need to get another one."

Emma's stomach fluttered with nerves and, suddenly, she was seventeen again, trying to figure out where she was going to spend the night and Neal offered for her to sleep in the back of his stolen car. She had been hesitant at first, not really sure if he was actually a pervert or not. When she voice the very thought, Neal gave her a grin that always made her knees turn to Jell-O. He simple handed her the keys to the car, grabbed one of the blankets from the back of his car and said he would sleep outside, so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. Even though the night started out with Neal outside and Emma in the backseat, they somehow both ended up in the car, Emma scratched out across the back with her head towards the driver's side and Neal reclined in the passenger's seat.

Neal must have sense her hesitation. He had always been really good at knowing what she was feeling and how to react, just as she always was with him. They were both so intoned with each other that the people back in Portland used to think to two to be high school sweethearts or childhood friends. "I'm not asking you to commit to anything," he said softly, taking both her hands in his. "I would just rather not be alone right now." The last sentence was barely above a whisper but Emma could still hear it as clear as day.

Emma pulled her hands away and saw him tense a little before she reached down and began to untie her boots. "I suggest you take the jackets off," she said with a grin, gesturing to his oddly put together ensemble. "I am not sleeping next to you while you are wearing leather and wool. It will get too hot."

Neal snickered and Emma made a face, knowing exactly where his mind had ended up. She rolled her eyes and threw her red leather jacket on to one of the chairs sitting beside the bed. (Everyone had returned the chairs to the waiting room when they left.) Within moments the two were laying in the bed, Neal on his back and Emma draped across his front.

"I don't want any funny business, mister," Emma said in a mocking tone.

Neal laughed. "Don't worry, madam," he grinned cheekily. "You will be completely unharmed by the time you wake up."

Emma hummed in reply, her eyes drifting shut on their own accord. Her breathing evened out and Neal listened to her heartbeat for a few precious moments before his eyes slowly closed, letting him fall into a restful sleep.

HENRYDANIELMILLS!

Zelena sat back, processing everything that Morgana had told her in regards to the new Dark One. She was quiet for a moment before she looked up, meeting Morgana's bright green eyes.

"So you can control the Dark One, even without his dagger?" she asked, completely intrigued.

Morgana smiled. "Yes, I can. If I have the dagger, however, then I can control him completely." She smiled turned nasty. "And there will be no way for him to fight back."

"So," Zelena said, crossing her legs. "The only obstacle is this Emrys."

"Emrys," Morgana hissed, "will not be a problem once we have the Dark One under control. The Darkness will automatically sense him as a threat and attack immediately. No, our real obstacle is Emma Swan," she said, testing the name.

"That might be a little hard," Zelena commented. "I know you want her gone but she has made quite the name for herself here."

Morgana raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to elaborate.

"She is known as the Savior. She is the product of True Love," Zelena replied, rolling her eyes at the title. She laughed, expecting Morgana to join in but her laughter trailed off when she took in Morgana's paling face.

Morgana clenched her jaw, balling her hand into a fist, her eyes flashing angrily. "Then she must really be eliminated."

Zelena looked confused. "What for? I understand she poses a threat in trying to control the Dark One but what is so wrong with her being a product of True Love?"

Morgana leaned back, exhaling so sharply through her nose that is sounded like a snake hissing. "A child of True Love is extremely rare. True Love is an ingrained part of the Old Religion. While Old Religion magic cannot exist beyond Camelot, True Love, which we know as Light Magic, is so powerful that it reaches out to all of the realms. It is known by many but only touched by select few." She went quiet for a moment, worry clear on her face.

"What about her has you so worried?" Zelena asked quickly. "You are obviously more powerful than she is."

"So far, yes," Morgana answered quietly, staring at the fire place. "If she runs into Emrys and he trains her, then even I will be no match for her powers."

Zelena was stunned for a moment. "What?!"

Morgana looked away from the fireplace and directly into Zelena's eyes. "Light Magic is a key part of the Old Religion. Its magic is one of the original forms of the Old Religion. Since this Emma is a product of True Love, she possesses one of the most raw and pure forms of the Old Religion. She could even…" she trialed off suddenly, her lips pushed together so hard that they turned snow white. She shook her head quickly. "It doesn't matter. We will get rid of her before she can even be trained."

Zelena smirked. "I have the perfect idea of making her vulnerable."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Zelena's head practically swelled with her ego. "Take her magic away, of course."

Morgana simple rolled her eyes, sliding down in her chair. "That won't work."

Zelena bristled. "And why not?"

Morgana gave her a look that clearly said she was stupid. "Old Religion make cannot be taken away. It is too ingrained in a person's soul." She pressed her lips. "I tried the same thing before, with Emrys and it didn't work well."

"Then how do you suggest getting rid of her?" Zelena pouted, crossing her arms.

Morgana rolled her eyes again at the other woman's childishness. "We kill her."

Zelena frowned. "I thought you said she could become more powerful than you."

"Oh, she can," Morgana snared, the look marring her pretty face. "But we can nip it at the bud before it even flowers."

Zelena's lips slowly curled into a smile. "And which one of us will get the pleasure of killing her?"

Morgana smirked. "Neither."

Zelena's face fell. "What?"

Morgana laughed cruelly. "It's perfect, really. No one would even think of it."

"Would you care to enlighten me?" Zelena asked with a huff. "Who is going to kill her?"

Morgana's smile turned cruel. "We need to find the Dark One's dagger first."

Zelena looked thoughtful. "I think I know where to narrow it down to. There will only be certain people he trusts, one of them being Emma. The other three are his father, the former Dark One, the pirate, who took him in when he was younger, and his son, who is also the Savior's boy as well as my _dear sister's_ adopted child. Honestly, I place my bet with the child."

Morgana raised an eyebrow as she grinned again. "So the Savior and the Dark One have a relationship?" She laughed when Zelena nodded. "It makes it so much more perfect than when she finally dies. We'll have to make it a grand event, forcing everyone to watch as their precious Savior is destroyed right before their eyes."

Zelena frown. "Do you care to fill me in? Who is going to kill her?"

Morgana leaned back in her seat, the cruel smile still gracing her lips. "The father of her child, of course." Morgana's eyes flashed gold, her evil intent palatable in the air. "I'll just force the Dark One to kill her with his own two hands."


	7. Planning and Waiting

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Seven: Planning and Waiting: In Which Merlin Becomes a Teacher, Henry Accidently Blows Something Up, and Morgana and Zelena Are Up To No Good

"What exactly are these potions supposed to do?" Zelena asked as she held up a vial of a liquid that was a very interesting shade of yellow. "And shouldn't we have attacked by now? It has been a week. Emrys has most likely found her already."

Morgana merely smiled as she bottled up the light pink potion she had just finished brewing. Potion making wasn't exactly her area of expertise but she was willing to make an exception this one time. "Patience is a virtue, you know," she replied calmly. "We'll attack when the time is right."

Zelena huffed. "And when will that be?" she asked with a pout.

Morgana paused in thought for a moment. "At least a month and a half to two months."

"What?!" Zelena shouted. "Why so long?!"

Morgana smirked. "You want to break Emma Swan before we kill her, correct?" Her smirk grew cruel as Zelena nodded. "Then follow every instruction I am about to give you and the _Savior_ will be completely crushed by the time we finish her," she finished as she hand Zelena the light pink potion and began to carefully lay out her instructions. By the end of it, Zelena was smiling with some much glee, one would have thought Christmas had come early.

EMMASWAN!

Emma threw her hands in the air in frustration. Two weeks. Two long _fucking_ weeks she had been at this. It shouldn't be that hard, she told herself. It will come easy, she said. It really wasn't as easy as she had originally thought.

A glare graced her face as she stared down the man facing her. Merlin flinched, knowing exactly the frustration she felt when a spell wasn't working. She folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, her eyebrow raised and mouth set in a thin line.

"You're trying too hard," Merlin commented and just barely contained another flinch as Emma's glare intensified.

"I thought you said I could learn this," she said firmly.

"I did and you can," Merlin replied patiently. "You just need to calm down. You've worked yourself up too much."

"That sounds like a great idea," Neal said from his spot on the sidelines. "She'll just calm down, drop her guard, and give Morgana and/or Zelena the perfect opportunity to attack." He started clapping. "Wonderful idea, Your Grace," he said sardonically, his voice oozing with frustration.

Merlin felt his temper flare. There were very few people in his world—and this one—that set Merlin on edge. Unfortunately, Neal Cassidy, A.K.A. the Dark One, was one of those few people. Merlin knew it was the Darkness that made the man constantly sarcastic and shrewd to him. From what he had heard from the other people of the town, Neal was an all-around decent guy with a big heart and an even bigger sense of humor. Unfortunately, that description wasn't something that Merlin had experienced. Ever since the day at the hospital, Neal had done nothing but criticize Merlin, ridiculing him for everything that he couldn't do or he didn't know. Merlin _really_ didn't want to get mad at the man, he really didn't. He was pretty sure, almost certain in fact, that if it wasn't for the Darkness, he and Neal would have gotten along great.

Emma simple gave Neal a look and he grimaced in response when he realized what he had said. He sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the park bench as he slide down.

Emma turned back to Merlin. "Sorry. He's trying, really," she said, looking back at her son's father.

"It's ok," Merlin replied. "I know it's the Darkness making him say things and act the way he is."

Emma sighed. The lessons would probably have better results if Merlin was able to show her just how the magic worked. But, due to her own selfishness, she didn't want Neal out of her sight. That enabled Merlin from being able to show her Old Religion magic. If she were honest with herself, however, she would have to say she felt relieved that Neal was constantly in her sights. More often than not these past couple of weeks, Emma had woken up from a nightmare, scrambling to find Neal because she keep dreaming he had died back in the forest or Morgana had murdered him for disobeying her orders.

Emma shuddered, hating herself for thinking about her night terrors at a time like this. Usually, when she woke from the night terrors, she would run downstairs, desperately searching for Neal. More times than not, he was laying on the couch, messing with something he refused to let her see. As the Dark One, Neal didn't have to sleep and would just sit wake at night, messing around with whatever he could get his hands on. One time, she even caught him making dreamcatchers, something that had brought tears to her eyes.

She shuddered again, remembering the few times she had ran downstairs, only to find the couch empty and Neal nowhere to be found. It was usually in those moments that Emma thought the last few weeks had been a dream; that she had simple fabricated Neal's return and that Zelena would appear out of nowhere, wielding a Dark One Rumpelstiltskin in tow. Neal would usually find her in her bed in tears, silently crying because she was too ashamed to cry any louder. The only good things about those nights was that Henry was at Regina's and Neal would hold her until she fell to sleep, him gently rubbing her back and whispering softly in her ear.

"Maybe that's enough for today," Merlin said, taking in the setting sun and the tired expression on Emma's face.

"Can I try?" Henry asked, bouncing so much in his seat that he had his Dad laughing.

Merlin smiled at his enthusiasm. He shrugged. "Why not."

Henry ran from his seat, leaving his still-laughing father behind him, who was quickly joined by his mother.

"Do I need to go through the steps again?" Merlin asked with a smile, knowing how intently Henry had been watching the two practice the past two weeks.

Henry shook his head. He had basically become a sponge, soaking up as much knowledge as he could.

Merlin nodded. "Do you remember the spell for fire?"

Neal frowned. "Isn't that a bit dangerous? I don't think he should be playing with fire."

Merlin waved him off. "It won't hurt anything. He doesn't have enough of a magic level at the moment to be able to do any damage."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Famous last words," he commented sarcastically, only to get hit in the shoulder by Emma.

Merlin pointedly ignored the Dark One. "Do you remember the spell for fire?" he repeated.

Henry nodded excitedly. He stretched his hand out, his palm facing the open sky. Emma watched him intently, not wanting him to be upset if the spell didn't work. Neal look interested and a little on edge. Henry's parents heard him whisper the command for fire, both waiting on bated breath to see what would happen. After a moment, Henry's face fell after see that the spell wasn't doing anything. Merlin stepped closer.

"It's ok," he said patiently. "I didn't get a lot of spells on my first try."

Henry pouted before his face took on a determined look. He whispered the fire spell with a little more force. The bystanders watch quietly. Merlin sighed and took another step closer, only to have the spell Henry channeled blow up in his face.

Emma jumped up and ran to the pair while Neal slide off the bench laughing his ass off. Emma rolled her eyes at him as she took in the excited but completely unharmed Henry and a soot-covered Merlin, who looked rather impressed for someone who had just gotten a spell blown up in his face.

"That was so cool!" Henry said excitedly before running over to his dad and talking animatedly.

Emma laughed. "I think you really made his day."

Merlin grinned as he wiped his face off with his sleeve. "He has a lot of potential. And he's a child. He's bound to catch on quickly to magic. I'm just glad he can practice it freely here."

Emma simple nodded, a small smile on her face as she watched her son and his dad. Neal had an arm slung across Henry's shoulder, a wide grin on his face and Henry began to recant the small event with big hand gestures and mini explosion noises.

"I'll see you later then," Merlin said after he had gotten all of the soot off his face.

Emma gave him a wave and walked over to stand next to her boys. Neal was wiping tears of mirth from his eyes as Henry grinned from ear to ear. "Ready to go get some food?" Emma asked as she crossed her arms. "I heard Granny is having a sale on cheeseburgers."

"What, buy one, get one for $.05 off?" Neal asked cheekily.

"No," Emma countered. "She'd being generous." Neal raised an eyebrow. "She's giving $.10 off."

Neal snorted, a grin still on his face. "Cheeky woman," he tease.

"You love me anyways," Emma replied automatically, not really thinking about what she was saying.

Neal's face turned soft for a moment. "Always have, always will," he replied honestly.

Emma bit her lip. She had unintentionally brought up a subject that the two had been avoiding for the past couple of weeks. His death was still fresh in her mind and she _really_ didn't want to go through that heart-ache again. Henry had been the only thing that had kept her going for those seven days afterwards. If she hadn't had him, she would have been hell-bent on catching Zelena, probably to the point of almost getting herself killed.

"Sorry," Neal apologized quietly.

"It's ok," Emma replied honestly. "You're just being honest with me. I kind of walked myself through that door," she smiled slightly.

Neal returned it.

"So," Henry said, watching his parents with his own grin. "Granny's?"

Emma laughed and put an arm around the twelve-year-old's shoulder. "Let's go, kiddo."

Henry grinned as his dad wrapped his arm around Emma's shoulder as they walked. His grin nearly split his face in half as Emma rested her head on his shoulder instead of pulling away like he thought she would. This day couldn't get any better in his opinion.

NEALCASSIDY/BAELFIRE!

"That was fun," Neal commented as Emma collapsed onto the bed.

Emma giggled. "Tell me about it. I don't think I have ever seen someone bicker as much as the two of them. You would think Arthur would have Merlin thrown in jail for some of the things he said."

Neal grinned. "I think I heard Arthur mentioning something about the stocks and rotten vegetables after a while."

Emma laughed even harder.

While the trio had been eating at Granny's (the burgers were actually buy one, get one half off-surprise!), Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and Gaius had arrived at the diner to get something to eat before they headed back to the house Rumpelstiltskin had rented out to them. The payment was Merlin giving Gold all of the information he knew on the Dark One in written form. Rumpelstiltskin had taken it upon himself to try and find a way to rid his son of the Darkness that had plagued their lives for too long.

Of course, Arthur and Merlin did nothing but bicker back and forth while they ate, giving Emma, Henry, and Neal a good show to watch. Ruby had brought over their usual drinks, saying that another customer, who wished to remain anonymous, had bought them. Emma rolled her eyes, knowing it was probably Neal's dad, seeing as he and Belle were on a date at the same time (Belle had given them a cheery wave). Whoever it was had even gotten Emma a special sundae, seeing as her birthday had been the day before as well as making sure her hot chocolate had extra whipped cream and cinnamon. She had happily dug into the sundae, ignoring Neal's teasing at her not eating right. That had somehow lead to Merlin making fat jokes about Arthur, leading to more laughter and slight chaos.

"You sure your parents won't mind us setting up at Granny's for a while?" Neal asked as he threw his jacket across the back of the desk chair.

"No," Emma replied as she kicked off her boots. "They probably want to spend some time at home with my new little brother. Besides, I would rather not have to listen to a baby crying in the middle of the night. I love my brother but I need my sleep."

"Speaking of which," Neal said. "What is his name? I haven't heard them say."

Emma rolled her eyes. "They're keeping it a secret, even from me. They want to wait until the party in a few days to announce it."

"Royals," Neal snorted with a teasing grin. "They just can't do things like us regular folks, can they?"

Emma laughed. The pair fell into a comfortable silence. Emma would randomly giggle occasionally, thinking of a certain memory from the dinner. Neal would just simple watch her, grinning all the while. Eventually, his smile began to slip, giving way to a nostalgic expression that Emma caught immediately.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Neal flinched, not wanting her to see him like that. He sighed heavily. "It's nothing."

"Nope," she said as she stood, walking to stand in front of him. "You don't get to just blow me off like that. What's wrong, Neal?"

Neal was quiet for a moment. "I think we need to talk."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

Neal snorted. "We're not even together," he whispered sadly.

Emma bite her lip, unknowingly hitting the subject on the head. She gently took his hands, pulling them until he followed her. She sat back down on the bed, facing him, his hands still in hers.

Emma drew in a deep breath. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Us," Neal replied honestly. "What our next move is?" He sighed again. "I don't want to make you feel like I'm pressuring you but…"

Emma frowned, reaching up and letting her hand rest gently on his cheek. "What is it?"

Neal bit his lip. "I know it's stupid," he said, running a hand nervously through his hair. "Never mind," he said suddenly, getting up and walking towards the door.

"Neal," Emma said as she grabbed his hand, making him stop. "I want to know what's bothering you." She paused for a moment. "Is it the Darkness again?" she whispered quietly.

His flinch was all she needed to see to know she was right. She gently led him back to the bed. She sat down sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He sighed and let his head fall, his nose buried in her hair, inhaling the scent of her lavender and vanilla shampoo.

"What is the Darkness telling you?" Emma asked quietly, remembering the times she had walked in on Neal angrily talking to himself. He had been embarrassed, of course, when he realized she had walked in on him arguing with the Darkness. Instead of leaving like he expected her, Emma had grabbed his hand and led him out of the room, using Henry as a distraction as the trio ended up walking along the beach.

"It's stupid," Neal muttered.

"No," Emma insisted. "It's not. Your dad said the Darkness used to feed on his own worries and doubts and amplified them to make him angry. I am pretty sure it's doing the same thing with you."

Neal exhaled heavily through his nose, causing Emma to laugh as it tickled her head. Neal's lips tugged into a grin despite his best efforts to keep a straight expression. Emma looked up at him, her green eyes shining bright.

"What is the Darkness telling you? Because, whatever it is, I am completely sure that it is wrong."

Neal rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure it's right."

Emma slapped him hard on the shoulder, her face set in determination to prove him wrong. She simple raised an eyebrow, waiting.

Neal sighed softly this time. "It keeps telling me that we," he gestured between the two of them, "will never go back to being what we were," he finished softly, doubt and worry clear in his tone.

Emma sat there for a moment, watching Neal with clear eyes. She surprised him when she suddenly shifted, knocking him back onto the bed and straddled his waist, her hands lacing with his above his head. "And why can't we?"

Neal blinked in surprise, still in shock of the position they were in. "Emma-"

"Nope," she said, leaning down, pressing her chest to his, their noses just barely touching. "The Darkness doesn't get to decide. _We_ do."

Neal looked her dead in the eyes, searching for something there. Emma stared right back, her gaze never wavering. Neal must have found what he was looking for after a moment. Emma felt all of the tension leave his body as he smile gently at her.

"Is this," he sighed, "what you really want?"

Emma smiled. "What I really want is you," she said, pressing her lips to Neal's in a soft, gentle way. Neal gladly responded by deepening the kiss.

THELADYMORGANA!

Morgana smirked as she watched the couple that was displayed on the crystal she had in her hand. She waved her hand, dissolving the image of Emma and Neal, her smirk turning rather cruel in nature as she turned to Zelena. The Wicked Witch had a look of disgust on her face, having watched the two kissing. She was more than glad when Morgana dispelled the image before she could have seen anything else. True Love always made her so sick.

"It's all going according to plan," Morgana practically sang.

"Are you sure it will work?" Zelena asked, doubt heavy in her voice.

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Are you questioning me?"

Zelena paled a little. "Of course not," she said quickly, holding her hands out in front of her. "I was just merely…" She trailed off before she could dig her hole deeper.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "It will work. My potions have never failed before."

"Isn't Emrys still alive?" Zelena countered.

Morgana shook her head. "I've never used a potion on Emrys. It would be too risky."

"But you can use one on her?" Zelena asked, thinking about the so called _Savior_ that always made her want to barf.

Morgana rolled her eyes again, sighing at Zelena's impatience. "Emrys can sense if there is a potion that has been added to his food. That is only because he had been using that magic since he was born. Emma, on the other hand, had only discovered the true origins of her magic recently. She isn't trained enough to be able to sense a potion of that caliber."

"Is that why you put it in her drink?" Zelena asked. "And how did you even know she would get that one and not her son?"

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "'Know your enemy'," she quoted. "Emma Swan's birthday was recently. As a 'birthday gift', an anonymous person bought her a drink." Morgana waved her off. "The only thing that matters is that it worked."

"What now?" Zelena pouted, hating that she was being spoken to as if she were merely a child.

Morgana leaned back in her chair. "We plan. Next order of business," she said as she conjured an image of a young boy that spun slowly over the top of her palm, "find the Dark One's dagger." She quickly closed her fist, crushing the image as she smiled. She absolutely loved it when a plan came together.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN(add necessary hand flourish)

Emma woke up with a start as her phone began to ring suddenly. Beside her, Neal groaned, rolling over on to his side and covering his head with a pillow.

"I am going to kill your phone," he said groggily.

Emma just shook her head. She slowly got up from the bed and grabbed her phone that was sitting on the desk across the room.

She cleared her throat. "Hello?" she answered, her voice still thick from sleep.

"_Hey, Mom!"_ Henry answered from the other end.

"Hey Henry," Emma smiled as she leaned her lower back against the cool surface of the desk. "What's up?" she asked, yawning.

"_Gramps, Grams, and I are going to go to Granny's to catch some breakfast," _Henry replied animatedly. _"Can you meet us downstairs in about thirty minutes?"_

Emma raised an eyebrow, not really sure how her son knew she was at Granny's B&amp;B. She didn't comment, however, as a smile tugged at her lips. She looked up and caught Neal's eyes, who had finally decided to roll out from under the pillow and was now watching her with interest.

"Sure, kid. Will be there in a few minutes," she replied as Neal raised an eyebrow. The two exchanged goodbyes and love before Emma put her phone back on the desk. "Henry wants us to meet him for breakfast."

Neal just nodded and continued to stare at Emma, his hands behind his head and a shit-eating grin on his face.

Emma blinked. "What?"

"Nothing," Neal replied, his grin getting even wider. "Just enjoying the view."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Perv."

"Tease," Neal countered. "Come back to bed," he whined.

"Nope," Emma replied, grabbing her bra that was laying on the floor. "If we get started again, we won't be able to meet Henry for breakfast. Now, where is the rest of my clothes?"

Neal grinned before simple pointing up.

Emma looked up and groaned. "How the hell did my underwear end up on the _ceiling fan_?"

Neal just laughed in response.


	8. Unexpected Surprises and Dire Situations

To Have and To Hold

**Author's Note: Please do not read this chapter if you are feeling depressed. There are some possible trigger points in here that I am not sure how to label. Again, if you are feeling sad or depressed and trigger easily, do not read the end of this chapter if you are in a slump. All I can say is that the story does NOT end here. This story is still on going. It is, however, going to get a little dark from this point on. Please read the other note at the end of the chapter for some clarification points.**

Chapter Eight: Unexpected Surprises and Dire Situations

Emma rinsed her mouth with water before spitting it into the sink. She looked up in the mirror and stared at her pale reflection. Her green eyes were red rimmed from lack of sleep. She quickly ran back to the toilet as bile raised back up in her throat. She dry heaved for a moment, considering there was nothing left in her stomach. She had thrown her breakfast up only moments earlier. She groaned slightly as she rested her head on the cool seat of the toilet.

Worry immediately coated her stomach, causing more bile to rise in the back of her throat. She quickly swallowed, trying not to get sick again. It had been two and a half months since she and Neal had spent the night together, two and a half months since her birthday. She didn't want to admit it but she was scared. The throwing up had been going on for about a month now. It was usually accompanied by dizziness and, one time, even fainting. She had woke up not even a moment later. She had been so embarrassed about passing out that she hadn't even told anyone, not even Neal. Now, she was beginning to wonder if that was the right thing to do.

Other symptoms had appeared as well. She had gained a little bit of weight, enough to make her pants fit snug around her waist, and her mood was all over the place, swinging from happy to extremely depressed in less than a second. Hell, she had even _cried_ the day before because Neal had eaten the rest of her bagel. He had quickly ran to the store to buy more when her crying changed to yelling, something she apologized about for hours.

"Emma?" she heard her mother say, opening the door slightly. "Are you alright?"

Emma looked up and stared her mother in the eyes. Snow White looked rather worried. Emma gave a weak smile. "I'm ok. Just a stomach bug."

Snow nodded but she didn't look completely convinced. "Everyone's waiting in the dinner. Should I have them come back later?"

Emma shook her head. "It's too important to postpone. Especially after Morgana attacked Henry last month."

Snow flinched, remembering the situation.

It had been about a month after Neal and Emma officially got back together. Henry had been so excited that his parents were a couple again. Everything had seemed perfect, if only for a moment. Of course, Morgana had to shatter that perfect vision by going after Henry. Emma shuddered, thinking about what would have happened if Morgana had succeeded in kidnapping her son.

"Hey," Snow said gently as she laid a hand on Emma shoulder. "We got to him in time. Luckily, Neal was two steps ahead of her."

Emma smiled and pulled out a little black pager from her back pocket. About a week after the breakfast at Granny's, Neal had presented Emma and Henry with identical looking pagers while Emma had been working on some paperwork in her office.

"_Isn't this a little outdated?" Emma had asked._

_Neal grinned. "Maybe but," he reached over and pressed the button on her pager. He looked over at the computer screen of her computer and she blinked when the screen lit up with her exact location. She jumped when Neal's and Henry's phones went off. Neal pulled his out of his pocket. "Think of it as a distress call. I used magic to create them. Yours will send a signal to mine and Henry's phones while Henry's will alert our phones. Both will automatically appear on your computer screen."_

_Emma blinked in surprise before looking down at the little black box. "Is this what you've been working on the past few weeks?"_

_Neal grinned sheepishly. "Yea. I wanted some way for the both of you to be able to send a distress call if you need it. I can also add your pager to your parent's phones as backup."_

_Emma grinned. She threw her arms around Neal, causing him to stumble at the sudden hug. She stared him directly in the eyes. "You are brilliant."_

_Neal grinned before kissing her. The pair broke apart and laughed when Henry made a mock noise of disgust. He was grinning the entire time, his face shining with happiness and excitement._

"I'm just glad Neal made the pagers," Emma replied. "If he hadn't…"

"We would have still gotten to him," Snow said quietly.

Emma nodded, not because she believed her. She just wanted to get off the topic of almost losing her son. Emma cleared her throat. "Let's get back. Everyone is waiting."

Snow frowned, clearly seeing through Emma but she didn't say anything as she walked with her daughter out of the bathroom and into Granny's Diner. Neal looked up from his spot and watched Emma with a worried expression. She sat down next to him and he gently took her hand.

"You ok?" he asked quietly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand.

Emma nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little bug, is all."

Neal stared at her, worry clouding his warm brown eyes as they burrowed directly into hers. She gave a small smile.

"I'll go see Whale tomorrow, if it makes you feel any better," she replied quietly, placing her other hand on his.

The worry disappeared a little as Neal nodded, clearly please that she was willing to get some help.

"We could continue this another time, if you're not feeling well," Merlin offered.

Emma shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just a stomach bug," she replied, wondering how many times she needed to tell the little lie before she started to believe it.

Merlin frowned but nodded. "We think we may have figured out why the Darkness regressed. But first," he looked at Neal, "I think you should give your dagger to someone else."

Emma felt Neal freeze and he glared at Merlin, clearly ready to snap at him before Merlin held his hands up.

"Let me explain," he said calmly. "Morgana only attacked Henry because she figured out he had the dagger. As long as your son has it, he will be a target."

Emma tightened her grip on Neal's hand. "I think it's a good idea, Neal. I know you want Henry to help keep you, you but it does put a really big target on his head."

Henry frowned, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. Neal sighed sharply, pushing back the Darkness as it nagged at him, saying that everyone was simple trying to control him. He eventually nodded. "Who will keep the dagger then?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I would assume that you would keep it. Emma seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping you sane. As long as someone has the dagger, she can take it from them. But Morgana can't take the dagger from you. Those are the rules. You have to give it to her willingly."

Neal sighed, rubbing his face with his left hand. Henry quietly reached into his backpack and pulled out the dagger, which was wrapped in one of his scarves. He quickly handed it to his dad. Neal took the dagger and unwrapped it slowly, staring at his name that slowly began to reveal itself. He quickly put the dagger away, tucking it gently in his jacket pocket. Emma gave his hand another gentle squeeze. He gave her a small smile in return.

"Now," Regina said, dispelling the tense atmosphere. "What have you leaned?"

Merlin scratched the end of his nose. "It's actually more of a theory. Theoretically, the Darkness shouldn't have transferred without Rumpelstiltskin being stabbed by his dagger. It definitely shouldn't have change back to its original form."

"What happened?" Belle asked.

"Two things," Merlin replied as he held up two fingers. "One, Neal opened the Dark One's Vault, the origins of the curse."

"But I thought you said before that it shouldn't have made him into the Dark One," Regina said as she crossed her arms.

Merlin looked a little annoyed at being interrupted. "I did say that, yes, however, something else had to come into play for this to work."

"And what would that be?" Rumpelstiltskin asked quietly but clearly.

Merlin looked at Neal. "He has to have been exposed to Old Religion magic. When did you visit Camelot?"

Neal frowned. "I didn't. The only places I have been were the Enchanted Forest, Neverland, and the Land Without Magic during the early Victorian Era."

Merlin frowned as Arthur groaned. "Great," Arthur said. "More unexplained events."

"I have a question," Henry piped up. "How did Morgana turn out to be that way she is? She couldn't have been born that way. Evil's not born, it's made," he quoted something his mother had told him long ago.

Arthur flinched, Merlin looked down, Gwen looked like she was going to cry, and Gaius looked like he had aged fifty years in two seconds.

"She wasn't always that way," Arthur answered quietly. "Circumstances lead to her turning against us." He looked at his best friend (something he would never say aloud) and his wife. "The four of us used to be a team, always fighting for what was right, even when my father didn't believe it was."

"Morgana was once someone you could go to if you ever needed help, once upon a time," Gwen picked up where he husband left off. "She was like a sister to me, even though, technically, I was below her in status." Gwen smiled sadly. "She didn't let that stop her from running out to rescue me."

"She help my old village, once," Merlin smiled. "Uther, Arthur and Morgana's father, refused to help when my old village was attacked by bandits. Morgana insisted on going to help and even went behind Uther's back when he told her not to."

Snow blink. "She disobeyed her father's orders?"

Gaius grimaced. "Morgana didn't find out that Uther was her father until after she changed."

"Show us," David said.

Merlin blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Show us how she became who she is," Regina supplied.

Merlin grimaced. "I can't use my magic, remember." He quickly glanced at Neal.

Neal flinched, remember the one time during magic practice that Merlin accidently slipped up and used a spell. Luckily, Emma was able to intercept Neal before the Darkness could make him do something he would have regretted later.

"I can do it," Emma replied. "I've progressed rather well these last two months."

Merlin nodded. "That you have. Ok," he sighed. "I'll walk you through the steps. Do you have something to house the memory in?"

Emma frowned and opened her mouth to speak.

"Will this work?" Neal asked as he produced a dreamcatcher from thin air.

Merlin nodded. "It will."

Neal handed the dreamcatcher he had finished the night before to Emma. Emma quickly focused her magic and held the dreamcatcher up to Merlin's forehead. The group watched, transfixed, as the images began to play out. They all saw Morgana as a beautiful, spirited woman with a caring heart change into the cold-hearted, hauntingly beautiful High Priestess she had become. The watched as Morgana leaned about her magic from her half-sister and felt her anger grow as everything began to stack up, brick upon brick piling up on top of her. The images ended with Morgana facing Merlin, Gwen, Gaius, and Arthur, throwing down a swirling orb of black and deep purple.

"That's how we ended up here," Merlin supplied. "When Neal escaped the Vault, the orb appeared to Morgana. She didn't realize what it was until she confronted us, thinking it was something I had left for her, something to get rid of her magic."

"So, she started all of this just because Uther lied to her?" Regina asked. "I understand her being upset but to go all 'Evil Sorceress' because her father wouldn't admit his affair is a little much, don't you think?"

Merlin opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Gaius.

"There's more to it than that," the Court Physician replied quietly. Merlin blinked in confusion.

"Gaius," Arthur warned, his tone cold. It clearly started Merlin, as he looked over at his friend in confusion.

"They have to know, sire," Gaius replied. He quickly turned back to the group. "About twenty years ago, four years before Merlin arrived in Camelot, a young man took up residence in the castle. I took him in as my assistant. He eventually befriended Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana."

"Gaius," Arthur said sternly, clearly displease with the elder man. "This matter is not relevant."

"Of course it is, sire," Gaius replied. "The Lady Morgana has held resentment for Uther ever since-"

Arthur slammed his hands down on the table. "We will not speak of this matter anymore. That's an order." He quickly stood, almost bolting out the door in anger. Merlin quickly followed, leaving a stunned Gwen and a worried Gaius.

"I apologize," Gaius replied. "But we must take our leave." He help Gwen out of her chair and the pair made their way out the door.

"Well, that was odd," Regina said. "And a little rude."

Emma sighed.

"His mood reminded me of a pregnant woman's," Robin said suddenly. "I remember when Marion had been pregnant with Roland. One minute, she was crying, the next she was yelling at me over silly things like leaving the fire going."

Emma froze, a light bulb suddenly going off in her head. In that moment, all of her symptoms began to connect and form a bigger picture. Nausea filled her stomach and rose in the back of her throat. She swallowed quickly and stood, getting everyone's attention. She smiled, hoping she didn't look as pale as she felt.

"I'm going to head to the station," she replied. "It's my shift today."

David frowned. "Let me take over today. You aren't feeling well."

She waved him off. "I'm fine. It's just a bug. I'm going to see Whale in the morning anyways."

She left quickly, not giving anyone the time to counter her. She bit her lip as she realized this was the first time she had been away from Neal in the last two months. A part of her wanted to run back to him and drag him with her, for him to help her through the next hour, holding her hand the entire time. She drew a deep breath, steeling herself and her thoughts. If she was right, then they would have all the time in the world to talk. Even with her thoughts of dread, a little bubble of excitement appeared in her stomach, making her feel a little giddy. She continued on her way, not realizing that she had a little bounce in her step, nor did she realize that she was being watched by a certain High Priestess as the woman chuckled to herself. All was going according to plan.

BELLE!

"Are you absolutely sure?" Emma whispered quietly, watching Whale as he looked at the test results.

He smiled. "Positive. I could do an ultrasound if you are still doubtful."

Emma nodded numbly. She laid back on the examination table and lifted her shirt off of her stomach. Whale tucked a disposable paper in the top of her jeans before squeezing the cold gel on her stomach. Emma bit her lip as the cold gel hit her stomach. Above her, the lights flickered a little, causing Whale to pause.

"Was that you or…?" he asked.

"I don't know," Emma replied honestly.

Whale nodded and placed the probe on her stomach, swirling the gel around as the image flickered to life on the ultrasound machine. Emma stared at the black and white image, trying to make everything out.

Whale smiled and paused the image. "There," he pointed. "That's your baby."

Emma felt tears welt up in her eyes. She _knew_ she should have brought Neal with her. He would have loved this, especially since he could have been there for Henry's ultrasound or birth.

_We'll make up for that_, she thought as a smile stretched across her face. Sure, she was absolutely terrified of having a baby but she wasn't alone this time. She had Henry, her parents, Regina, Gold and Belle, and most of all Neal to help her through this.

Whale cleared his throat, getting her attention. "You're about 11 weeks along. I take it you know who the father is?"

Emma nodded. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that this was Neal's child, Henry's full brother or sister. "Is the baby healthy?" she asked, a different type of worry making itself known.

Whale smiled and nodded. "Perfectly healthy. You, on the other hand, seem to be a little undernourished. Nothing to worry about," he said as a panicked look crossed her face. "Extreme morning sickness can do that to you. I'll call you in some prescriptions to help with the nausea and some prenatal supplements to help with the baby's development."

Emma gave a sigh of relief, knowing the baby was healthy. Her heath, she could improve with a little time and effort.

"Now," Whale said suddenly, "I want you to take it easy. I won't say anything about the baby to anyone. I'll let you do that," he grinned. "However, you are still in the risk zone for a miscarriage. I would leave all strenuous activities to David or Neal. Don't do any heavy lifting or tacking any bad guys for the next six and a half months."

Emma snorted. "Alright, doc. I'll leave all the fun activities to the boys," she teased. "Am I free to go?"

Whale nodded. "I'll give you the prescriptions from the hospital. I know Doc will probably let it slip to Snow if I call them in."

He left quickly and returned just as fast with a couple of prescription bottles. After explaining what was what, Emma quickly left the hospital. This time, she could feel the bounce in her step. She knew, that if anyone were to see her, they could tell that she was practically glowing. Her phone beeped. She quickly pulled it out and saw a message from Neal. She had a couple of missed calls from her parents but she ignored them, going, instead, directly to the text message that Neal sent her.

_Meet me at Papa's cabin. I have a surprise for you._

Emma grinned and sent him a reply.

_Ok. Be there in a mo. I have a surprise for you as well._

BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST!

The yellow VW beetle pulled up to the small cabin that was nestled in the woods, gravel crunching softly under its wheels. Emma killed the engine and hopped out, shutting the door quietly and quickly made her way to the front door. She grinned and gave a knock.

"Come in," she heard Neal say and she couldn't hold back the grin that spread across her face.

Emma opened the door and quickly stepped in. "What's this surp—"

She stopped short, spotting Neal quickly. The smiled slipped from her face as she took in the man before her. He was wearing the exact same outfit from earlier this morning but, unlike before, his white shirt and dark green jacket were covered in blood. His face and hands were also splattered in the crimson liquid, his expression completely void of emotions. But it wasn't the blood or the lack of emotions that stopped Emma's heart. It was the dead look in his eyes, the very same one that he got when the two had met Morgana in the woods almost three months ago.

Emma jumped when the door slammed shut behind her. She turned quickly, grabbing her gun and aimed it right at the smirking face of Morgana.

"Oh, put that away," she said, waving her hand.

Emma suddenly felt vulnerable as the gun she had been holding disappeared from her hands. She balled her hands into fists, glaring at the other woman harshly. "What the _hell_ do you want?"

Morgana smirked even more and gracefully strode past Emma sitting herself in front of the fire. "Nothing really. Just for you to get out of my way."

Emma didn't say anything. She keep her eyes on Morgana, watching Neal out of the corner of her eyes.

Morgana pouted at Emma silence. "Come now," she said. "Do you not know how to hold a conversation? You are a princess, after all."

"I'd rather not converse with the enemy, thanks," Emma replied hotly, her emotions running high. "Why am I here? And what the hell did you do to Neal?"

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "To the point, I see. I didn't do anything to your dear Neal," she sneered. "He is my pet after all."

"He isn't yours," Emma hissed. "He will never be."

Morgana stopped smiling. Her face became as cold as a glacier and just as hard. "You really are an annoyance."

Emma smiled. "I try."

Morgana narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. Before Emma could even respond, she felt herself slammed against the wall of the cabin, her head hitting the wood hard. Her ears rang and head spun as she felt the cold touch of a blade under her chin. She opened her blurry eyes to stare right into Neal's dead ones. She bit back a whimper as she took in the cold, emotionless expression on his face. Even the sound of her in pain didn't cause any reaction. Emma tilted her head up as he dug the blade of his dagger into her throat even more.

"How does it feel?" Morgana asked as she walked over, her face stopping close to Emma's. "How does it feel to loss the one you love?"

"What do you know of love?" Emma hissed, her eyes stinging with tears.

Morgana snared. "More than you think. Love made me the way I am today. And it's all _his_ fault."

Emma momentarily flashed back to the conversation Arthur had cut off in the diner this morning. Emma bit her lip, suddenly fearing for the safety of her unborn child. She subconsciously placed her hand on her stomach, drawing Morgana's attention down.

She smiled cruelly. "How long did it take you to realize?" she asked with a smile.

Emma bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from making a smart remark. "I found out just this morning," she whispered quietly, looking over at Neal.

Morgana followed her eyes. "Oh, don't worry. He won't remember any of this when he wakes up. It will all be a blank. Even the part where he attacked someone."

Emma felt like someone had dumped ice in her veins. She swallowed back the acid that rose in the back of her throat. "Who did you make him attack?"

Morgana shrugged. "The hell if I know. Some woman. Not very tall, kind of petite. Chestnut brown hair, blue eyes."

"Belle," Emma muttered quietly.

Morgana grinned. "That's right. His father's little girlfriend. Unfortunately, she got away before he could kill her." She pouted slightly before turning back to Emma. "More than I could say for you."

Emma knew she was limited on time. Her hand that was to her side reached into her pocket and pressed the panic button on the pager. On the coffee table, Neal's phone light up but luckily didn't make a sound. "How did you know I was pregnant?" Emma whispered, hoping to stall.

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think you got pregnant just after the first try? Heavens, no." She grinned suddenly. "I gave you a little help."

Emma felt her stomach drop. "What?"

Morgana smiled. "I slipped a potion into your drink about three months ago. It was a potion to make sure you would get pregnant. It lasts in a woman's body for about three months so it was only a matter of time before you and your precious Neal made up."

"Why did you do that?" Emma asked. "Why would you want to get me pregnant?"

Morgana smirked again. "To do this." She snapped her fingers.

Emma expected Morgana to hit her with a spell or to make her miscarry. What she was not expecting, however, was the feeling of Neal's lips on hers, pressing softly and gently. Emma closed her eyes unintentionally, her hormones getting the best of her. She didn't realize the dagger had left her throat nor did she realize an arm snaked around her waist drawing her closer. The only thing she focused on was the warm feeling of Neal's lips on hers, his body pressing her against the wall. She inhaled sharply when he pulled away suddenly. She opened her mouth to say something to get him out of the spell.

Only to double over when he punched her directly in the stomach. Emma cried out in surprise before the pain sharpened from a dull ache to an intense burning. She let out a gurgling gasp as she looked down. Embedded in her stomach was a dagger, Neal's dagger, the one that bared his real name. His hand was slick with her blood, which quickly splattered across the floor as he ripped the dagger out of her stomach. Emma fell to the ground, wrapping her arms around her bleeding stomach. She coughed, blood bubbling up her throat and coating her lips red.

"No," she whispered, pushing on the wound, trying fruitlessly to keep the blood from existing her body.

Morgana laughed. It was almost inaudible to Emma, whose hearing was failing as her body went into shock. "Have fun raising your baby," she taunted with a wave before disappearing with a swirl of magic.

Emma blinked slowly, her vision darkening around the edges. It felt as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears. Her head lolled to the side as she faintly heard someone calling out to her, telling her to stay awake. She looked up, staring Neal in the face as he pulled her into his lap, tear streaming down his face, washing away from of the blood that had been there. _Belle's blood_, her mind supplied. Emma coughed again, suddenly felling cold. She shivered, reaching up to caress Neal's cheek, her fingers gently brushing against the stubble there.

"I love you," she whispered, wishing she had told him before. Lately, all it seemed like she was doing was telling him those three little, important words when either of them was in a dire situation.

"Stay with me, Emma," Neal pleaded, his hand pressing a towel to her stomach, trying to stem the blood flow. "I need you to stay with me. Don't go to sleep," he choked out, his voice hoarse and rough. "Oh, god," he whispered, his voice catching suddenly. "What have I done?"

Emma frowned and pulled his head down to hers. "It's not your fault. I love you" she whispered again before pressing her lips to his, feeling the warmth that washed through her as she kissed the man she loved for what would probably be the last time. Her body gave out, her head dropping back to rest in his arms as her hand fell away from his face.

"Emma?" Neal said quietly. "EMMA!"

Emma smiled slightly as she felt herself drift down further into the darkness.

SWANFIRE!

"Dammit!" Neal yelled as he felt Emma go limp in his arms. He was so confused right now, so very confused. He remembered walking to the library with Belle, hoping to get some more information on the Dark One. He remembered a warm feeling washing over him before his thoughts and conscious went black. The next thing he knew, Emma was laying on the floor covered in blood. He had immediately dropped the bloodstained dagger, bile raising in his throat as he realized just what he had done.

"Shit," he cursed, looking around the cabin. Emma needed help and she needed it fast. Through caution to the wind, he swirled his magic out, teleporting the two of them out of the cabin and directly into the Emergency Room of the hospital, startling the nurses and doctors working there. He could do nothing but watch as they quickly took Emma back, leaving him feeling cold and alone. He sat in one of the cold plastic chairs. He hung his head and cried, praying with everything he had that Emma would make it through this. If she didn't, Neal knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

**Just to let you know, Emma is not dead and neither is the baby. But, for the plot's sake, Emma is going to think she lost the baby. I didn't want you guys, as the readers, to think I let Emma get pregnant just to kill the baby off. Again, Emma does NOT lose the baby. In the next chapter, we will see the aftermath of Morgana's plot and the effects it has on both Emma and Neal as well as the rest of the crew. BTW, Neal doesn't know about the baby. He just thinks that he stabbed Emma on Morgana's command. His mind was submerged under the Darkness when Morgana revealed her plot. Please let me know what you think. I hope you are enjoying the story thus far.**

**I will have to say that I was almost in tears writing the end of this chapter. It was not an easy chapter to write. The only thing that keep me going was knowing that Emma wasn't going to lose her baby. Emma and Neal are both going to have a very rough time getting by this. Until next time.**

**-KleopatraAlexandria **


	9. Aftershock

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Nine: Aftershock

Emma came back into consciousness slowly. It wasn't like in the movies, where the person sitting next to the bed looked over and the one in the coma was staring at them. No. It wasn't that simple. The first thing that resurfaced was her hearing. It was muffled at first. She wasn't able to make out voices or words but she could hear people talking. It slowly became clearer as her sense of touch returned. A warm hand was wrapped around hers, though it was a little smaller.

_Henry_, her mind supplied quietly

Emma slowly opened her eyes before shutting them quickly. She groaned, the sound scrapping her raw throat, as the lights hurt her sensitive eyes.

"Mom," she heard Henry whisper before the light behind her eyelids dimmed.

Emma slowly opened her eyes again, relieved that the lights were nowhere near as bright as before. She turned her head to the side slowly and saw Henry sitting in a chair, holding her hand. He looked as if he had been through Hell. His skin was pale and he had bags under his eyes. His hair was an absolute mess, a bird's nest almost. His clothes were extremely wrinkled but he still stared at her with hope filled eyes that shined as bright as the sun.

"Hey," Emma whispered, clearing her throat slightly.

Henry grinned and looked like he wanted to jump and give her a hug but he refrained from doing so. He gently gave her hand a squeeze, tears running down her face.

"I'm going to go get Dr. Whale and Mom," he said, quickly leaving the room.

Emma nodded. As soon as Henry left, Emma frowned. Why was she in the hospital? Her frown deepened as she tried to think back. What was the last thing she remembered? She remembered talking with Merlin and co. before leaving the diner to go to the station. Instead of going directly to work, she had taken a detour to the hospital. Once there, Whale confirmed that she was in fact pregnant.

Emma smiled a little and tried to move her hand to rest on her stomach but frowned again when tubes and cord restricted her movements. Holy Hell. What exactly happened?

"Emma?"

Emma looked up and saw Whale walking slowly into the room. He turned the lights up a little, not enough to hurt her eyes but it was still uncomfortable. She squinted.

"Hey, Whale," she whispered, her throat raspy.

Whale sighed in relief before walking over to check her vitals. While he was busy, Emma took a moment to look around the room. She frowned (again) as she notice who was missing.

"Where's Neal?" she whispered, not able to speak any louder.

Whale froze, clearly not expecting the question. He grimaced. "It's not my place to say."

Emma's frown deepened. "What do you mean? Where is he?"

Before Whale could answer, Regina walked in the room, her heels tapping the ground in a rhythmic manner. As soon as she saw Emma awake, she quickly made her way to sit beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked, surprising Emma.

"Fine, I guess," Emma replied. "Everything feels a little fuzzy."

"That's the pain meds," Whale supplied as he looked at the IV stand and made a couple of notes on his clipboard.

Emma blinked. "Why am I on pain meds? What happened? And why are you not telling me where Neal is?" As her questions continued, her voice gradually got louder. She tried to sit up but Regina gently pushed her back into the mattress.

"Emma," she said gently, gaining the blonde's attention. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Emma frowned. She remembered going to see Whale and leaving the hospital. Everything after that was a complete blank.

"I remember the conversation in the diner. I left to go to the station," she replied. "After that, it's a complete blank."

"So you don't remember paying Whale a visit?" Regina asked.

Emma frowned and look at Whale. "You told her?"

Whale flinched. "I had no choice but to."

Emma blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? You specifically said that you wouldn't tell anyone. Isn't that a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality?"

Whale bit his lip. "Technically, yes, it is. However, a doctor holds the right to reveal key information if it is related to a life threatening injury."

"What?" Emma asked, panic rising.

"Emma," Regina said calmly, something that only served to freak Emma out even more. "What do you remember happening after meeting up with Whale? This is very important."

Emma blinked and began to think back. Everything was fuzzy after leaving the hospital. She bit her lip. Slowly, she remembered the text message she had received from Neal as well as the missed calls from her parents. She opened her mouth to say as much when the dam broke.

Emma gasped as the memories came flooding back.

"_What the hell do you want?"_

_Morgana smirked even more and gracefully strode past Emma sitting herself in front of the fire. "Nothing really. Just for you to get out of my way."_

"_I'd rather not converse with the enemy, thanks." _

"_Why am I here? And what the hell did you do to Neal?"_

"_He is my pet after all."_

"_He isn't yours. He will never be."_

"_You really are an annoyance."_

"_I try."_

_Morgana narrowed her eyes and waved her hand. Before Emma could even respond, she felt herself slammed against the wall of the cabin, her head hitting the wood hard. Her ears rang and head spun as she felt the cold touch of a blade under her chin. She opened her blurry eyes to stare right into Neal's dead ones. She bit back a whimper as she took in the cold, emotionless expression on his face. Even the sound of her in pain didn't cause any reaction. Emma tilted her head up as he dug the blade of his dagger into her throat even more._

"_How does it feel to loss the one you love?"_

"_What do you know of love?"_

_Morgana snared. "More than you think. Love made me the way I am today. And it's all _his_ fault."_

"_How long did it take you to realize?" she asked with a smile._

"_I found out just this morning," she whispered quietly, looking over at Neal._

"_Oh, don't worry. He won't remember any of this when he wakes up. It will all be a blank. Even the part where he attacked someone."_

"_Who did you make him attack?"_

"_The hell if I know. Some woman. Not very tall, kind of petite. Chestnut brown hair, blue eyes."_

"_Belle," Emma muttered quietly._

_Morgana grinned. "That's right. His father's little girlfriend. Unfortunately, she got away before he could kill her. More than I could say for you."_

_Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think you got pregnant just after the first try? Heavens, no." She grinned suddenly. "I gave you a little help."_

"_What?"_

"_I slipped a potion into your drink about three months ago. It was a potion to make sure you would get pregnant. It lasts in a woman's body for about three months so it was only a matter of time before you and your precious Neal made up."_

"_Why did you do that?" Emma asked. "Why would you want to get me pregnant?"_

_Morgana smirked again. "To do this." She snapped her fingers._

_Emma expected Morgana to hit her with a spell or to make her miscarry. What she was not expecting, however, was the feeling of Neal's lips on hers, pressing softly and gently. Emma closed her eyes unintentionally, her hormones getting the best of her. She didn't realize the dagger had left her throat nor did she realize an arm snaked around her waist drawing her closer. The only thing she focused on was the warm feeling of Neal's lips on hers, his body pressing her against the wall. She inhaled sharply when he pulled away suddenly. She opened her mouth to say something to get him out of the spell._

_Only to double over when he punched her directly in the stomach. Emma cried out in surprise before the pain sharpened from a dull ache to an intense burning. She let out a gurgling gasp as she looked down. Embedded in her stomach was a dagger, Neal's dagger, the one that bared his real name. His hand was slick with her blood, which quickly splattered across the floor as he ripped the dagger out of her stomach. Emma fell to the ground, wrapping her arms around her bleeding stomach. She coughed, blood bubbling up her throat and coating her lips red._

"_No," she whispered, pushing on the wound, trying fruitlessly to keep the blood from existing her body._

_Morgana laughed. It was almost inaudible to Emma, whose hearing was failing as her body went into shock. "Have fun raising your baby," she taunted with a wave before disappearing with a swirl of magic._

_Emma blinked slowly, her vision darkening around the edges. It felt as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears. Her head lolled to the side as she faintly heard someone calling out to her, telling her to stay awake. She looked up, staring Neal in the face as he pulled her into his lap, tear streaming down his face, washing away from of the blood that had been there. _Belle's blood,_ her mind supplied. Emma coughed again, suddenly felling cold. She shivered, reaching up to caress Neal's cheek, her fingers gently brushing against the stubble there._

"_I love you," she whispered, wishing she had told him before. Lately, all it seemed like she was doing was telling him those three little, important words when either of them was in a dire situation. _

"_Stay with me, Emma," Neal pleaded, his hand pressing a towel to her stomach, trying to stem the blood flow. "I need you to stay with me. Don't go to sleep," he choked out, his voice hoarse and rough. "Oh, god," he whispered, his voice catching suddenly. "What have I done?"_

_Emma frowned and pulled his head down to hers. "It's not your fault. I love you" she whispered again before pressing her lips to his, feeling the warmth that washed through her as she kissed the man she loved for what would probably be the last time. Her body gave out, her head dropping back to rest in his arms as her hand fell away from his face._

"_Emma?" Neal said quietly. "EMMA!"_

"Emma," Regina said suddenly, snapping Emma out of the memory.

"No," Emma whispered, heartbroken, as the reality of the situation sat in. Tears she didn't even realize she was shedding cascaded in rivers down her face. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, burying her face in her arms. Somewhere, someone was screaming. The loud wailing continued, heartbroken and devastated.

"EMMA!"

Emma cut herself off, realizing that it was _her_ that was screaming. She lifted her tearstained face and looked a very determined Regina in the eyes.

"She took my baby," Emma whispered brokenly. "Why did she take my baby?"

"Emma," Regina said again, this time not as loud but with just as much firmness and care. "She didn't take your baby."

"Yes, she did," Emma cried. "She tricked me. She…Neal…" she dissolved into sobs again. Her chest ached. She wanted her baby. She wanted Neal beside her, helping her get through this. _Where the hell was Neal?_

"Emma," Regina whispered. "She didn't take your baby." She paused for a moment, giving Emma time to look up and wipe her face. She turned to Whale. "Show her."

Whale walked over wordlessly and took a picture out of the file he was carrying with him. "I can't do an ultrasound right now. Your wound won't allow it but we did manage to get this image with Merlin's help. Regina changed it to look like an ultrasound picture."

Emma took the image with shaking hands. On the paper was very same black and white image that Whale had shown her before. Emma felt tears well up in her eyes as she stared at the image. "Why are you showing me this?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "You really aren't getting it." She sighed as she rubbed her temples. "We wanted you to come to the realization yourself but it seems we are going to have to tell you."

Emma glared, her sorrow turning quickly to anger. "I think I can figure out that my child is dead, thank you very much."

Regina gave her a look that said she was clearly not amused. "Your baby isn't dead."

That sentence brought Emma up short. "What?" she whispered.

"The baby's magic protected itself," Regina continued.

"I didn't lose my baby?" Emma whispered so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

Regina's face softened. "No. You didn't. Morgana's plan failed."

"How are you completely sure?" Emma countered. "Whale just said that he couldn't take an ultrasound."

Regina opened her mouth to snap back. She stopped, however, when Merlin walked forward.

"I'm going to teach you another spell, alright?" Merlin said calmly.

Emma sniffed. "What does it do?"

"It shows you if you are in fact pregnant and if the child is fine or not," Merlin explained. "The spell was used by midwives to check on the progress of expecting mothers and their babies. It will only reveal the information to the caster."

Emma set her jaw. "And if you are wrong?"

Merlin's face fell. "Then you have permission to hit me as many times as you want."

Emma gave a watery laugh in spite of herself. She cleared her throat and nodded. Merlin smiled. He sat down on the bed and took ahold of her left hand. He gentle rested it on her stomach.

"The spell works best if you use the left hand, since it is closer to the heart. I need you to concentrate on your baby. If the spell works, you will hear a heartbeat and it won't be your own."

Emma nodded, closed her eyes, and set her face in determination. "What's the spell?"

"**Fréobearn**," Merlin replied.

Emma concentrate all of her magic and gently opened her eyes. "**Fréobearn**," she whispered, her eyes flashing bright gold.

She waited quietly, listening. Within seconds, a small fluttering sound made itself known and Emma felt tears sting her eyes.Emma broke down for a second time. This time, however, her tears weren't from sorrow. They were tears of sheer relief and happiness. Emma took a few calming breaths, focusing on the way Regina awkwardly patted her back.

"The baby has magic?" Emma whispered after she had calmed down.

"Of course."

Emma looked up and say Merlin leaning in the doorway. He gave her a quick smile. "It is your and your True Love's child after all. It's also a product of True Love."

Emma frowned. "I thought you said that there can't be more than one child of True Love born to a couple."

Merlin grinned. "A normal True Love couple, yes. But, since you are the product of True Love, any child you have with Neal will have that same amount of light magic."

Emma sighed. "So the baby's magic saved it."

"So did your magic," Merlin smile. "This may seem like a bad time to ask this but did you kiss Neal at all before you lost consciousness?"

Emma nodded, remembering the feeling of thinking it was the last kiss they would share.

Merlin's grin widened. "True Love's Kiss. Yours and Neal's love saved your child."

Emma smiled slightly before it turned into a frown. She looked over at Regina again. "Where's Neal?" she asked quietly.

Regina pressed her lips into a thin line before she sighed heavily. "We don't know."

Emma felt her blood run cold. "What?"

"We haven't seen him in a week."

"How long was I out?" Emma asked quietly.

"Two weeks," Whale supplied. "We keep you under to make sure the wound had healed. We didn't want to put any stress on the baby."

"You haven't seen Neal in a week?" Emma questioned, her voice steadily getting louder. "What happened?"

Regina dropped her head, a look of apprehension gracing her face. "He found out about the baby," she whispered quietly. "At the time, we didn't know if the baby had made it or not. There was something blocking us from trying to check on it."

"My magic," Emma muttered, reaching up and grasping at her neck, her fingers wrapping around the swan pendant.

Merlin nodded. "He didn't take the news well."

Emma sat there for a moment. "It wasn't his fault," she said before her head snapped up. "Oh, god! Where's Belle?"

Regina put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Belle's fine. Neal had only managed to cut her arms before she ran."

Emma breathe a sigh of relief. "What happened?" she asked, wanting clarification.

Regina bit her lip. "Neal and Belle were heading to the library to try and get more information about the Dark One." She paused for a moment. "He must have subconsciously known what happened. He pushed Belle over just as the Darkness took control. If he hadn't, then Belle probably wouldn't be alive."

"Oh, god," Emma whispered.

"Belle said he disappeared after that."

"How did Morgana get the dagger?" Whale asked.

Regina blinked. "She didn't. Neal had it with him. It's what he… the Darkness," she corrected, "hit Belle with and stabbed Emma with."

"Morgana can control the Dark One without the dagger," Merlin clarified. "She was just waiting for a moment when Emma wasn't around Neal to take control."

Whale frowned. "I'm not trying to be rude or anything but why does that matter?"

"Emma keeps the Darkness at bay," Merlin said.

Regina's lip twitched at his wording, causing Emma to snort. Merlin looked at the two women questioningly. Regina waved him off. She turned to Emma. "What happened with you? Neal didn't know the full story."

Emma grimaced before filling the trio in on what had happened in the cabin. By the end of her tale, Regina and Whale looked pissed and Merlin looked a little amused.

"She set herself up to fail," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Both of you are beings of the Old Religion: you being a product of True Love and Neal being the Dark One. There was always a high probability that your child would be born of the Old Religion. Morgana unknowingly tripled it by giving you that potion."

"Because it was made from the original power?" Emma guessed.

Merlin nodded, a grin still on his face.

"For a High Priestess, she sure makes really bad decisions," Regina said as she rolled her eyes.

"Have you tried calling Neal?" Emma asked quietly.

"He left his phone in the cabin," Regina supplied.

"I wasn't talking about his phone," Emma countered.

"We haven't," Henry replied as he walked into the room. "Everyone's been too worried about you waking up. I think we forgot about Dad being the Dark One."

Emma nodded. She grimaced as she sat up, accidently stretching the wound. Regina quickly adjusted the bed to where Emma didn't have to sit up. "Thanks," she replied.

Regina just nodded.

"Should I try?" Henry asked his mom.

Emma nodded.

Henry took a deep breath. "Baelfire," he said clearly, looking around the room.

Emma waited patiently for the familiar cloud of smoke to appear. However, after three minutes of silence, she began to worry.

"I thought his name was Neal," Merlin commented.

"Baelfire is his birth name," Regina supplied. "He used to go by Bae."

Recognition crossed Merlin's face. "That's why you laughed earlier."

Emma nodded. "But why didn't he answer?"

"He doesn't have to," Regina said. "We can call him but he doesn't have to answer. The only time he does is when you use his dagger."

Emma bit her lip. "And he has that with him."

"Not quite," Regina replied as she pulled a bundle out of her bag. "He gave it to me right after we got to the hospital two weeks ago. I'm sorry. I hadn't thought about summoning him. I figure he would want some time to himself." She handed the bundle to Emma, who accepted it with the utmost care.

"I'm going to go," Merlin said suddenly, looking a little apprehensive. "Last time I saw him, he kind of yelled at me."

Emma frowned. "Why?"

Merlin stayed quiet. Regina sighed. "Neal blames Merlin for not being able to stop Morgana before all of this happened."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Was it Neal or the Darkness saying that?"

Merlin shrugged. "I'm not sure. But I would rather not stick around." He gave a nod before he walked out the door quietly.

"We'll give you some privacy as well," Regina said as she stood up. She frowned when Henry stood as well. "You don't have to go, Henry. I'm sure you want to see your dad."

Henry just shook his head. "It's ok. I'm sure Mom had a lot to tell him." He walked over and gave Emma a quick hug before pecking her on the cheek.

"Love you Mom."

Emma smiled. "Love you too kid," she hugged him back.

Emma waited until everyone was out of the room. Whale subtly pointed out the nurse's button, should she need any help. Emma simple rolled her eyes. She waited a moment, calming her nerves before she unwrapped the bundle that contained the Dark One's dagger. Slowly, Neal's true name began to appear. Emma could do nothing but stare at the name on the dagger. She wonder, absentmindedly, what Neal might have looked like when he was a child. She tilted her head, picturing a young boy with dark, curling hair and warm brown eyes and a smile that could melt even the wickedest of hearts. She imaged him to look like Henry, just as caring and kind.

Emma bit her lip before holding the dagger in front of her. _I'm sorry, Neal_, she thought, not really wanting to use the dagger but she _had_ to speak with him. She knew with everything in her body, that Neal was hurting. For the past week, he had been tormented with the thoughts of possibly killing his love and his unborn child. Emma _really_ needed to talk to him.

"Neal," Emma said firmly. "Come here."

Within seconds, a dark cloud of inky, black smoke appeared beside her bed. When it clear, Emma could tell that her assumption had been right. Neal _was_ hurting. Badly. His eyes were blood-shoot, so much so that Emma could even see them with his head bowed. We wasn't wearing the bloodstained clothing that Emma had last seen him in but he looked as if he hadn't changed or showered in at least a week. His hair was unkempt and knotted. He had grass stains on his jeans and his hands were covered in dried mud. Emma knew instantly that he had been living in the woods, something that painfully reminded her of his time on Neverland.

Emma choked back tears and reached over, taking a hold of his hand with the tips of her fingers. Neal flinched, jumping back suddenly. Emma keep her hold on his hand as he looked down and followed their linked hands up her arm before her eyes came to rest on her face.

"Emma," he whispered hoarsely, sending Emma on a mini flashback to the cabin.

Emma gave him a small smile as she squeezed his hand. "Hey."

Neal breathed a huge sigh of relief. His hand left hers and she found herself wrapped in his arms. He was mindful of the tubes and cords as he gently sat on the edge of the bed. Emma gently laid the dagger down before wrapping her arms around Neal, burying her face in his chest. Tears stung in her eyes as she realized just how much she had been missing him, even though she had only been awake for about an hour.

Emma felt him shaking. He was holding it together, she knew, so she wouldn't see him breakdown. His arms gently wrapped around her waist, his hands coming to a rest on her stomach. She felt more than heard him choke back a sob as he buried his nose in her hair, hot tears leaking down his face as he fought them back.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered, all the fear and dread hitting him like a bulldozer to the chest.

"You didn't," Emma replied. "My magic saved me and so did you."

Neal shook his head. "I'm the reason you're here in the first place," he whispered.

Emma pulled back suddenly, startling Neal. She looked him directly in the eyes. "This isn't your fault. The only one to blame here is Morgana."

"I could have fought it," Neal countered, his voice broken and shattered.

"You and I both know you couldn't have. She was probably watching and waiting for you and me to be apart from each other. It was only a matter of time before she would have gotten control," Emma said calmly and gently. "It could have killed you if you fought it."

"I almost killed you," Neal whispered, leaning forward and resting his head on her shoulder. Emma felt the tears that landed on her hospital gown, far too many for her liking. She bit her lip and gently ran a hand through his hair.

"But you didn't," she replied. "That's all that matters."

"But what about next time?" Neal asked as he stood suddenly, startling Emma this time. "Morgana could make sure I finish the job."

"That wasn't her goal," Emma countered, grabbing Neal's hand. "She wanted to make me miscarry."

Neal laughed bitterly, a sound that caused Emma's heart to ache. "And she succeeded," he whispered as his legs gave out, sliding down the wall, his ass hitting the cold floor.

Emma got up from the bed, careful for the tubes and cords as she dragged the IV stand with her. Her legs shook under her weight and tried to give out. Unfortunately, Emma was extremely stubborn. She slowly made her way over to Neal and knocked his knees down. Neal jumped in surprise and caught her as she quickly dropped into his lap. She sighed, extremely worn out from her five foot track across the room. She laid her head on his left shoulder, her ear directly over his beating heart. Her legs were draped across his right leg. Neal pulled his legs closer to him, folding Emma's body to his, wrapping his arms around her again. He bit his lip as he looked down at her stomach.

Emma knew, as soon as she had woken up, that Morgana's aim was to break her. She had used a potion to make sure Emma got pregnant and waited until she found out to put her plan into action. She tried to steal her baby by making the person she loved stab her. However, seeing Neal the way he was now, Emma knew Morgana had failed on bother her plans. Emma wasn't broken. Her baby was safe. If Morgana had managed to kill her child, Emma knew she would have been worse than what she was less than an hour ago. Emma could come back from this, with time and help.

The only thing Morgana had succeeded in doing was breaking Neal. Emma knew that Neal's past was riddled with demons, so many more demons than her own. Everything that had happened to him was constantly weighting him down, little by little. This one event was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Hey," she whispered quietly, taking his face in her hands. She gently lifted it, making him look her in the eyes. "It's ok. Everything is going to be fine."

"No, it's not," he whispered, his voice completely void of emotions.

Emma bit her lip, hating to see him like this. She swallowed and pushed back tears before she grabbed one of his wrists and gently rested it on her slightly swollen stomach. Neal flinched violently, as if he had been stabbed. Emma placed her hand over his, not leaving any room for him to pull away.

"I'm going to teach you a spell," she said firmly. "Concentrate on our child and repeat after me. **Fréobearn**."

Neal inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. "**Fréobearn**," he whispered. Within a moment, his head snapped up, staring Emma directly in the eyes. "Is that…"

Emma nodded, tears sliding down her face again. She watched in amazement as Neal's eyes brightened within seconds and a goofy grin appeared on his face. He pulled her closer, both hands resting on the small baby bump.

"Hi, baby," he whispered, causing Emma to choke up. "I'm your Papa. I'm never, ever going to let anything happen to you."

Emma rested her head on Neal's shoulder again, completely content with sitting in his lap and watching him speak quietly to the baby they both knew they would come to cherish. She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, letting herself drift into a peaceful sleep.

"Quit apologizing," Belle told Neal firmly. "I am fine. It was just a cut on the shoulder."

"More like a stab," Whale supplied as he walked around the different monitors, taking note after note.

Belle shot him a glare that could easily kill. "You're not helping," she told him.

Whale flinched. "Sorry. My mouth got away from me."

"I wonder what else got away," Belle said hotly. "Your brain or you common sense?"

Regina laughed. "Ok. I absolutely love smart ass Belle." She turned to Belle. "Are you channeling Lacey?"

Belle huffed. "This once? Yes, I am. And I am proud to do so." She shot Whale another glare, causing Rumpelstiltskin to laugh.

Emma sat back and watched the whole exchange with interest. Neal was sitting in the bed with her. Actually, she was sitting between his legs, leaning back against his chest as he keep a hand on the baby bump. The night before had been exhausting for Emma. When she woke up, she was still sitting in Neal's lap while he gentle stroked her stomach, whispering things she couldn't make out. A nurse must have visited sometime during the night because a majority of the IVs were gone and Neal had wrapped her in a nice, warm blanket.

"Can we try to stay on topic here? Preferably without interruption?" Arthur asked, clearly pissed for some reason.

"Sorry," Neal replied, knowing that it was he that had gotten them off topic.

The room was full of people. Emma's parents were sitting together with their new baby (Little Graham, named after the Huntsman). Regina and Henry sat next to them with Robin and Roland on their other side. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin sat on the other side of Emma's bed with Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, and Gaius to their left. They had just gotten finished filling the whole group in on what Morgana's plan had been when Neal began apologizing—again.

"I don't get it," Gwen said suddenly. "What does Morgana have against Emma?"

"She's a threat to her," Gaius replied. "Emma is a product of True Love and is extremely powerful."

"But Morgana is stronger," Emma countered, knowing that she probably wouldn't stand a chance against the woman.

Gaius smiled. "But you can get stronger. Morgana is as strong as she will even be. That is only because she is the High Priestess. You pose a threat to that as well."

Emma blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Oh!" Merlin exclaimed, a figurative lightbulb going off above his head. "I forgot about that." He looked around the room. "Remember our discussion on the High Priestesses when we first arrived?"

"Vaguely," Regina deadpanned.

Merlin rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Remember me telling you all that the High Priestesses were beings of Light Magic?" Everyone nodded. "More specifically, they were originally products of True Love."

"What?!" Regina shouts, startling little Graham. She gave Snow an apologetic look before looking back at Merlin. "I thought you said products of True Love were rare."

"They are now," Gaius explained. "In the past, when magic was at its highest, they were not as uncommon as one might think. But that's because the Old Religion was fluent with almost everyone. Eventually, however, it began to die down. Arthur's father, King Uther, had thousands of Druids killed, along with more he suspected of performing magic."

"Why?" Neal asked suddenly.

Arthur spoke this time. "My mother died because of magic. My father blamed magic for taking her away, even though he knew exactly what he was doing."

"What happened?" Belle asked.

Arthur sighed. "My mother was barren and my father asked the Sorceress Nimue to use magic to give him an heir. Me." He paused, working his jaw in anger. "The price was her life. She gave birth to me and died."

Emma bit her lip. And she thought she had it bad before.

"When Uther killed all of those people," Merlin continued, "it tipped the balance. That's why I was born. To make up for the loss of magic."

"So, Emma poses a threat to Morgana because she is a child of True Love?" Belle asked.

Merlin nodded. "To put it simply, Emma has the makings to be the next High Priestess of the Old Religion."

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or leave a review. I will try to get back to it as soon as I can.**

**As far as the spell Merlin used, it's Old English for **_**child of gentle birth**_**. The spells in the TV show are Old English, if I am not mistaken. I tried to find something as close as I possibly could to **_**child reveal**_** but I didn't like the way it sounded. Let me know what you think. Next chapter, we get to see why Morgana hates Uther so much and what pissed Arthur off. It has to do with the diner conversation. If you are confused, please reread the last chapter. Until next time.**

**-KleopatraAlexandria**


	10. Past Tales

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Ten: Past Tales

"Dammit!" Morgana shouted as she threw a glass vase into the wall. It shattered on contact, breaking into a million different pieces. "How could the child have survived?"

"You heard what they said," Zelena commented, remembering the conversation that Emma, Regina, Whale, and Emrys had the night before. Morgana had angrily cut the image out after Emma had broken down in tears of relief. The High Priestess hadn't been able to watch them since. Something was blocking their view and Zelena had a very big feeling that it was Emrys. "The baby is another product of True Love."

Morgana exhaled slowly through her nose. She was seething in anger, most of it directed at Emma and Emrys. "That blade should have killed the child."

"The baby's magic protected it," Zelena countered.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "The blade was coated in a poison. I had the Dark One drench the blade in it before Emma arrived to the cabin."

Zelena frowned. "What kind of poison?"

Morgana clinched her jaw. "A deadly one. It uses the blood of someone with a pure heart and kind soul, taking a twisting it around until the light is warped and lost."

Zelena raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Ad who did you use to make the poison?"

Morgana visibly flinched. "I didn't make it."

Zelena sat up. "What?"

Morgana sighed. "The poison is twenty years old. An old witch made it in Camelot." Morgana paused for a moment. "She used one of my friends."

Zelena tilted her head to the side. "Was it Gwen or Arthur?" she asked, recalling the tale Morgana had relayed to her before.

Morgana looked at the floor. "Neither."

Zelena frowned. "What does the poison do?"

Morgana sighed. "It kills a person from the inside, eating away at them until there is nothing left. It works extra well on beings of light magic. It should have killed that child."

Zelena frowned. "Why didn't it kill Emma, then?"

Morgana smirked. "I have the Dark One add some of his own blood to the poison. By doing to, the poison would target the one that shares the same blood as he does."

Zelena sat back, stumped. The poison sounded completely fool-proof. There wasn't a reason why it should have failed. "Is there a counter poison?"

Morgana shook her head. "The only way to counteract it is to add the blood of the person that the poison was created from."

"Maybe Emrys found them. He is powerful, after all," Zelena said with a shrug.

Morgana clenched her jaw again. Zelena blinked in surprise as she saw tears gleam in the High Priestess's eyes. "That's not possible," she whispered quietly. "He's dead."

Zelena sat up. "You cared for him."

Morgana laughed bitterly. "Of course I did. He was my first love." She looked down at her lap. "My only love."

Zelena was quiet for a moment. "Who was he?"

Morgana sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It doesn't matter. He's gone and there is no bringing the dead back to life."

A light bulb went off over Zelena' head. "That's why you want to go back. You want to save him."

Morgana nodded. "And our plan won't work as long as Emma and Emrys pose a threat."

"I understand that Emma can get powerful but what exactly about her has you so worried?" Zelena questioned.

Morgana sighed. "She can take my power as the High Priestess from me."

Zelena's mouth fell open.

"As a product of True Love, she is the perfect candidate to become the next High Priestess. I have to get rid of her before she figures out the way to get my power."

"How can she do that?" Zelena asked.

Morgana bit her lip. "By going to Camelot and traveling to the Isles of the Blessed, the sacred ground of the High Priestesses. Once there, the Old Religion will recognize her and transfer my power to her."

Zelena frowned. "I thought you said that magic can't be taken away."

"It can't," Morgana replied. "The power of the High Priestess isn't mine to begin with. I got it after my half-sister became too weak to house the power."

Zelena sighed. "Then what do we do now? We failed to kill Emma's child, which failed in breaking her. How do we break her now?"

Morgana smirked. "By taking away the two other important things in her life."

Zelena's eyes brightened suddenly. "Oh, I love where you are going with this. I take it you are going to take the Dark One away from her and her son as well?"

Morgana nodded and pulled up what was left of the poison that she had tried to use on Emma's child. She watched the inky black color of the liquid swirl with the deep green. Every now and then, a tinge of red could be seen, the blood of the young man that had stolen her heart all those years ago. "We'll use the rest of this."

"You're going to make him attack his son?" Zelena asked in surprise.

Morgana shook her head. "He'll be too heavily guarded by Emma for me to do so. No, I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands for this one."

"It should work this time," Zelena said. "He is also a child of True Love." She paused for a moment, the gears turning in her head. "I think I know why the poison didn't work."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Zelena looked her in the eyes. "The child may be Emma's but it is also the offspring of the Dark One. The child isn't a being of pure light magic. It holds some darkness in it. It could have counter balanced the poison."

Morgana hummed, neither confirming nor denying Zelena's observation. The poison was just as new to her was it was to Zelena, even though she wouldn't admit it aloud. The old hovel where she had taken up residence had belonged to the old witch. Morgana had found the poison on one of the selves with _his_ name written on the little paper attached to it. Morgana had researched the poison, looking through the witch's old books before she stumbled across his name again as well as a description of what the poison was and what it could do.

"We need to get to work," Morgana said. "We have seven months before we can cast your time spell."

Zelena blinked in confusion. "But I was going to use Snow White's baby."

Morgana smirked. "Why do that when we can use Emma's? There is nothing more innocent than a child of True Love."

ARTHURPENDRAGON!

"I can do what now?" Emma asked as the whole group fell silent.

Merlin grinned. "You can take the power of the High Priestess away from Morgana."

"So it will leave her powerless?" Regina asked.

"Not quite," Merlin countered. "Morgana has always had magic. She is a Seer, after all. Her power grew as soon as she became the High Priestess."

Belle sat forward in alarm. "Can't she spy on us then? If she is a Seer?"

Merlin grinned. "Usually, yes but I had Emma cast a cloaking spell around this room." He glance back at Emma. "Getting back on topic here. Morgana will lose her power as the High Priestess if you claim it."

Emma frowned. "So, it gives us a chance to stop her. But what if she takes control of Neal again?"

Merlin grinned. Henry gasped suddenly, startling the occupants of the room. "She won't be able to," he whispered excitedly.

"Of course she will," Hook countered. "She has before."

Henry sighed. "You're not getting it. The power of the Dark One isn't tied to Morgana. It's tied to the High Priestess."

Emma's mouth dropped open in surprise. She felt Neal freeze for a moment before his arms wound around her waist, holding her close but not enough to hurt the baby.

"That means," Merlin continued with a wide grin, "that Morgana would no longer have control of the Dark One."

"I hate to burst your bubble here," Neal said suddenly, "but the Darkness will still react to the presence of the High Priestess. It will try to control me again."

Merlin shook his head. "The Darkness reacts that way because _Morgana_ wants it to. If Emma were to become the High Priestess, then she would be able to keep the Darkness back more effectively than before. She could even remove it from you completely."

"How do we do it then?" Snow asked, her eyes and face bright with hope.

Merlin grimaced. "That's the hard part." He paused for a moment to look at Gaius. "The only way for Emma to become the High Priestess is to travel to the Isle of the Blessed."

Emma slumped back against Neal. "And I take it that's in Camelot."

Merlin nodded. "We'll have to find a way to get back."

"Traveling realms isn't easy," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "It took me over three hundred years before I found a way to get to this world."

"Wait," Gwen said suddenly. "How old are you?"

"Just a little over three hundred and fifty years old," he replied with a shrug. "I was the Dark One for a majority of the time."

Neal notice Gaius frowned, clearly deep in thought and looking a little lost.

"You've lived that long?" Arthur questioned, surprised.

"Of course," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "As the Dark One, I was basically immortal."

"We could break the curse," Snow replied.

"We don't even know why Zelena cast it in the first place," Regina countered. "That year is still gone from our memory."

Snow slumped down in her chair, displeasure clear on her face. Emma sighed. "Do you know of any way to get to Camelot?" she asked Merlin.

Merlin smiled apologetically. "I don't. I wasn't even aware that other realms existed until we ended up here. And that was only thanks to Morgana."

"Great," Regina sighed. "More research."

"What if we cast the curse again," Belle asked quietly. "Will it take us back to the Enchanted Forest or could it possibly be rewritten to take us to Camelot?"

Rumpelstiltskin sighed. "It could be but someone would have to sacrifice the heart of the thing they love most."

Merlin blanched. "That's brutal."

"It is a curse," Neal deadpanned. Emma laid her hand over his and felt some of the tension leave his body.

"Topic change," Hook said, causing Emma to snort. He flashed her a grin. "You never did explain why Morgana hates Uther so much."

Arthur glared at the pirate while Hook simple raised an eyebrow in response. Arthur grumbled to himself as Gwen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Uther killed a friend of ours," she explained quietly.

"Why?" Regina asked. "Was he messing around with his daughter or something?" she asked as a joke.

But, from the looks on the four newcomer's faces, Regina had hit the nail on the head.

"Oh," Regina winced.

"They weren't really messing around," Arthur explained. "They both cared for each other. Both had lost their parents and were able to find a place with each other."

"They weren't really courting, in any sense," Gwen continued. "They had just barely admitted to liking each other."

Neal looked at Merlin. "What's your take on all of this?"

Merlin held his hands up. "Don't look at me. This is as new to me as it is to you. This was before I got to Camelot."

"Uther found out about the whole thing," Gaius continued.

"And he had him executed because he loved Morgana?" Snow asked, appalled.

Arthur shook his head. "My father was different around…him. He didn't treat him like every other common person or traveler. He saw the potential he had and even encouraged the relationship. I think it was the only time my father ever knighted a commoner. He broke his own code," Arthur supplied quietly.

"He was my apprentice for a year before Uther knighted him," Gaius continued. "He was such a bright young lad, always so full of energy and hope, even after everything life had thrown at him."

"What do you mean?" David asked, standing behind his wife's chair.

Gwen shrugged. "He never talked about his past. He always changed topics suddenly if it was ever brought up. He said he came to Camelot to start over."

"'A blank slate'," Arthur quoted quietly.

Merlin bit his lip. He absolutely hated seeing Arthur this down and broken. The only time he had come remotely close to looking like this was when his father had passed away.

"What happened?" Neal asked, his voice rough for some reason. He clear his throat and frowned in confusion.

The three story tellers were quiet for a moment. Gaius finally spoke up. "Uther was going to announce…_his_ courtship with Morgana at the next Yule celebration. A week before, however, Uther accused him of committing sorcery and had him executed."

Emma frowned. "That's a lie."

Gaius looked up, startled. "I beg your pardon?" he asked astonished.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "The rest of the story was true, that is, up until you got to the part about this person committing sorcery. You were even lying when you said Uther had him executed for it."

"Now that's a little rude," Gwen said suddenly. "Why are you accusing Gaius of lying? Uther did have him executed."

Emma's eyebrow raised even further. She pointed to Gwen. "When you said it, you were telling the truth, which means that you believe that is what actually happened. I have one really fateful ability that had keep with me for years. Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when a person is lying and he," she pointed to Gaius, "is."

"He's gone," Gwen countered. "We buried his ashes. Uther burned him for using magic when it was against the law."

"Did you see him burn?" Regina asked, quickly coming to Emma's defense. "Did you see him burn on the stake or did Uther simple tell you three and show you the ashes as proof?"

Gwen stepped back suddenly, looking stunned. "We didn't see his body. Uther just told Arthur and Morgana. Morgana told me."

Merlin raised his own eyebrow as Arthur's face turned red. "How are we even sure she," he pointed to Emma, causing Neal to growl protectively, "is telling the truth?"

"She is," Merlin replied.

Everyone turned to look at the warlock. Merlin smiled and laced his fingers under his chin. "Beings of Light Magic have different little traits that manifest themselves even before they begin to show their powers. Emma being able to tell if someone is lying is attributed to her being a person of Light Magic."

"What's your special ability?" Neal snapped. "Being a nuisance?"

Merlin frowned, clearly hurt by the jab but he didn't say anything. Neal sighed suddenly, covering his eyes with his hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, trying to push the Darkness back. "It _really_ doesn't like you."

Merlin nodded. "It's ok."

"You can actually tell when someone is lying?" Gwen asked quietly.

Emma nodded. "Yep and Gaius just told a really big lie."

Gaius looked uncomfortable as all eyes were suddenly upon him. He sighed heavily before replying. "Uther swore me to secrecy."

"Well, he's not here, now is he?" Neal asked sarcastically.

Emma looked up at him. "Is the Darkness trying to reach a new level of snark or something? Because this is the second time you've gotten snippy."

Neal pulled a face. "The first time was the Darkness. The second… I don't know what came over me," he replied quietly.

"The truth, Gaius," Arthur said in a strangled voice. "Why did my father kill him?"

Gaius was quiet for a moment. "Uther didn't kill him," he said softly.

"What?" Gwen asked, astonished. She looked over at Emma, who nodded in confirmation.

"He's telling the truth."

"So Father had someone else kill him?" Arthur asked, glad he was sitting down. His head was spinning already.

Gaius shook his head. "He didn't have him executed at all."

"He's still alive," Regina whispered.

Gaius nodded. "I don't know the exact reason for Uther turning against him. If I recall correctly, it was something to do with… his father. Uther was afraid of him."

"What did my father do, Gaius?" Arthur asked. "I want the truth."

Gaius looked as if he had aged suddenly. He sighed heavily through his nose. "Uther didn't turn on him because he was using magic. He hated it, if you will recall," he said to Gwen and Arthur. "Again, I don't know the details but Uther had me create a memory potion, one that would take away all of his memories of Camelot."

Gwen's shoulders dropped. "Uther sent him away," she whispered, "without his memories?"

Gaius nodded.

"Is there a counter potion?" Arthur asked.

Gaius nodded and reached into his sleeve, producing a small vial of a golden liquid. "I keep it on me. For the first couple of years after it happened, I was hoping to give him his memory back." Gaius hung his head. "I never saw him again."

"What's his name?" Snow asked.

Arthur shook his head. "I swore never to speak it again."

"The two of you were close?" Robin question.

Arthur nodded. "We were. He was like an annoying little brother I never had, even though I had only known him for two years."

"We can help you find him," Snow said. "All you have to do is tell us his name."

Gaius shook his head. "Even if we did, he was in Camelot the last time I saw him. None of you would know of him."

Snow's shoulder slumped in defeat.

"Another thing to add to our list of reasons to go to Camelot," Hook exclaimed, swinging his hook around sarcastically. "Problem is: how in Davey Jones' Locker do we get there?"

"The curse," Regina said. "It's the only thing we can think of."

"But who would cast it?" Snow asked. "Someone would have to sacrifice the thing they love most."

Merlin raised his hand. "I have a question." All eyes were suddenly on him. "Does it have to be a person's heart?"

Regina and Rumpelstiltskin both nodded.

Merlin frowned. "But you can rewrite the spell to take us to Camelot, right?"

Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "In doing so, however, Storybrook will seize to exist. The curse will link the Enchanted Forest to Camelot, allowing the two magicks into both worlds."

Merlin grimaced. "That could be bad."

"Not if you set up barriers," Regina supplied. "The barriers will keep the two magicks separate, making sure they don't come into contact with one another."

"Are we ready for that big of a step?" Emma asked, lacing her hand with Neal's. "I actually like living in Storybrook."

Regina nodded. "The curse will be a last resort. We should try to find a way to teleport everyone to Camelot, one that gets us back here safely."

Merlin hummed. "I could try to use magic later to see if I can teleport something from Camelot to here. It'll be something small, of course, if a book or Arthur's bigger belt." He got knocked upside the head for that comment.

Regina nodded as she stood. "I'll go back to my Vault and try to do some research. See what I can find."

"I'll come with you," Henry jumped up, eager to help.

Rumpelstiltskin stood as well, offering his hand to Belle. "We'll check my shop and see if we can find anything."

Henry quickly gave his parents a hug and kiss each and gave Emma's stomach one as well, jumping up and down in excitement at the possibility of have a little sibling.

"Should we tell Morgana?" Gwen asked suddenly, causing everyone to freeze. "You know, about…"

Arthur pressed his lips. He sighed suddenly. "It will only make her get angrier if we keep it from her."

"Send her a message and call for a temporary truce," Snow suggested. "We can all meet her in Regina's office tomorrow. I don't want her near Emma right now."

Emma's head snapped up. "I'm going."

"Absolutely not," Snow countered.

Emma gave her a look. "Mom, you can't tell me what to do. If I want to go, I'll go." She looked back at Neal. "Neal will be there, won't you?"

Neal looked apprehensive at first, biting his lip as he ran the idea through his head. He sighed. "As long as she doesn't try to control me, yea, I'll be there."

"We'll put that in the message," Gwen replied quickly. "Since Emma wants to be there, when should we arrange the meeting for?"

"Next week," Whale replied. "Emma's wound is almost healed. Give it a few more days and she will be fine. Her magic seems to be speeding the process along."

Gwen quickly left, mumbling to herself what she was going to write in the letter to Morgana. The other occupants of the room trickled out, leaving only Emma, Neal, and Hook in the room. The captain gave the two a salute before walking towards the door.

"Wait, Killian," Emma said, holding her hand out towards him.

"Yes, m'lady?" he asked curiously. Even Neal looked surprised.

Emma motioned for him to sit down in the chair closest to the bed. "I need to speak with the two of you."

"Alright," Neal commented, adjusting his body to where Emma was leaning more comfortably against him.

"We're all ears, love," Hook replied.

"Gaius isn't telling the whole truth," she replied.

"He lied again?" Neal asked, raising an eyebrow.

Emma pressed her lips. "He didn't really lie. He just didn't tell the whole truth."

"About what part?" Captain Hook asked after a moment or two.

"The part about the young boy's father. He _knows_ something. He's just not saying it."

"Should I confront him?" Neal asked.

Emma shook her head. "No. That will only cause more problems. Just watch him, see if he lets anything slip."

Hook nodded before standing. "I'll be on the Jolly Roger if either of you need me."

Emma smiled at him. "Thanks, Killian. I knew I could count on you."

The pirate grinned and left, leaving the couple alone. Neal sighed and laid his head back against the pillow. He looked down at Emma. "Are you hungry? I can go get you something from the cafeteria."

Emma shook her head, remembering the lunch that the nurse had brought for her before everyone had shown up. "I'm ok," she replied, turning on her side, laying her head against Neal's chest.

He sighed softly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burrowed his nose into her hair. Emma yawned quietly. Neal chuckled.

"Someone needs to rest," he commented as he pulled the cover over her.

"I've been asleep for the last two weeks. You would think my body would have enough rest," she countered, stiffing another yawn.

"Comatose sleeping and actual sleeping are two different things. When your body is in a coma, you aren't really resting. That's the reason you're so tired. You weren't actually sleeping," Neal replied quickly.

Emma frowned and looked up at him. "Since when are you so knowledgeable in medical practices?"

Neal opened his mouth to reply. He stopped, a look of confusion flashing across his face. He quickly shook his head. "I don't know where that came from," he replied quietly.

Emma frowned and reached up, placing her hand gently on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

Neal nodded but Emma could tell he wasn't. He was shaking and his face was suddenly pale. His hands and arms were clammy feeling. Emma turned, looking up into his face, his eyes shut tight as he inhaled sharply.

"Neal?" she whispered, worry coursing through her.

Neal exhaled slowly, his body no longer shaking. His face regained some color as he opened his eyes. "I'm alright," he whispered breathlessly.

Emma frowned but didn't push the matter. She ran a hand through his hair and began to quietly hum an old lullaby that she had learned years ago. His body relaxed and he slide further down in the bed, his head resting lightly on the pillow. Within moments, he was asleep. Emma thought it was always strange how he alternated between sleeping and not needing to sleep. She rested her head under his chin and simply watched him, like she used to do in the past when she couldn't sleep on those cold nights in Portland.

THEWICKEDWITCH!

Morgana stared down at the letter in her hands. She had received it about an hour ago. It had simple appeared on her bed. She had quickly cast a spell on it, checking it for a trap or hidden spells. The letter reeked of Emrys's magic. After realizing that there was nothing wrong with the letter, she quickly recognized Gwen's neat handwriting. She had opened the letter and read it quietly. Then she reread it. Again. And again. And again, until she practically had the words memorized.

_Now why on Earth would they want to have a temporary truce for?_

Morgana bit the inside of her cheek. The letter said that everyone was going to be there. Even Emma and her little Dark One. And their son. If she played her cards right, Morgana could get her hands on Emma's precious first born and kill him right in front of her. There was no cure for the poison; no way for her to save her son.

Morgana smirked as a plan began to form. She would go to them under a temporary truce and, as soon as they finished speaking, she would get rid of little Henry. She just loved it when a plan came together.

{One Week Later} (Odd time jump. Sue me)

Emma fumbled nervously with her necklace. Everyone was waiting patiently for Morgana to arrive. Emma sighed and nearly jumped out of her skin when a pair of arms wrapped around her middle. She looked down and sighed in relief when Henry grinned up at her. She shook her head as a smile graced her face. She placed a kiss on her son's head and ran a hand through his dark locks.

"It's almost time," Merlin whispered as he looked at the watch he had gotten from Rumpelstiltskin.

Emma felt Neal tense beside her as Morgana suddenly appeared in the meadow. Emma grabbed ahold of his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Morgana glanced their way before giving a little wave of her hand. Neal let out a sigh of relief as the Darkness stopped pushing on his consciousness.

"That will only last for about thirty minutes," she replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "What do you need to discuss with me, brother?"

Arthur walked forward, standing within ten feet of his half-sister. He was quiet for a moment before he looked Morgana in the eyes.

"He's alive, Morgana," he said, just barely loud enough for them to hear.

A look of confusion crossed Morgana's face. "Who's alive?"

Emma strained her ears, trying desperately to catch the name of the person. Arthur must have mouthed it, however, because Morgana's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"What?" she said quietly. She took a step forward. "Are you sure?"

Arthur nodded. "Father made Gaius take an oath not to speak of it. We only leaned last week. We contacted you right afterwards."

Any plan that Morgana had completely disappeared from her mind. She bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes. She swallowed and fought them back. "Where is he?" she asked quickly.

Arthur shook his head. "We don't know. Father sent him away."

"Why didn't he come back?" Morgana shouted, her hands balled into fists.

"He doesn't remember," Arthur replied. "Father had Gaius create a potion to erase his memory. He's back in Camelot, somewhere."

Morgana clenched her fists harder and exhaled sharply. "So I need to get back to Camelot, then."

"We'll find him Morgana," Arthur replied, only to have Morgana glare at him.

"There is no 'we'," She hissed. "_I_ will find him and you will stay away."

"He's my friend, too, Morgana," Arthur countered.

Morgana laughed. "You call yourself his friend when you're the reason that _witch_ kidnapped him. Don't you know what she did?" she hissed. "She _tortured_ him; infected him with an array of spells that were sure to leave a mark. That woman hurt him with _dark magic_, searing it into his very soul. It broke him," she whispered. Morgana drew in a shuddering breath before she continued. "He had nightmares for months after we rescued him. Whatever that _horrible woman_ did to him, it affected him badly."

Arthur looked as if he wanted to be sick. His face turned a nice shade of green as he watched Morgana. "I didn't mean to…"

Emma felt Neal flinch suddenly.

"Of course not," she said hotly. "You _never_ mean to do anything." She raised her hand, an orb of dark energy suddenly appearing in her hand. "Well, I don't mean to do this," she hissed before pitching the ball at her half-brother.

Emma instinctively raised her hands, a ball of pure light thundering out of her hand and shot to meet the black magic. The two clashed violently before exploding, stretching out and covering the surrounding area in light. Emma clung to Neal's arm as he wrapped his arms around her and Henry. She closed her eyes but she could still see the blinding light coming from the explosion. It lasted for just a moment before everything went dark.


	11. Welcome to Camelot

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Eleven: Welcome to Camelot

Emma groaned as she rolled onto her side. Her hands immediately wrapped around her small baby bump as she pulled her knees to her chest. She inhaled sharply, breathing in the smell of grass and wood. She slowly opened her eyes, pushing herself to her knees, her arms shaking in the effort to keep herself up. Her arms threatened to give out within a moment's notice.

"Neal," she whispered only to start at her own voice.

It was light than it was before; more youthful, even. She looked down and stared at the dress she was wearing. It was an ivory color, with its sleeves flowing down just past her wrists. The dress ended past her feet, making her pull her dress up to look at her dark brown walking boots that came up to her mid-calf. It bunched up under her breast, thankfully covering the small swell of her stomach. At least no one would be able to tell that she was pregnant. Over the top of the dress was a teal colored cloak. She reached up and felt the cloth that was wrapped around her head like a headband, keeping the majority of her hair out of her face.

"Henry?" she whispered, almost frantically.

"Emma?"

Emma turned suddenly, hearing the rustling of the bushed behind her. She quickly tried to conjure a spell but nearly whimpered when it didn't work. She grabbed the nearest thing she could use as a weapon: a rock.

Within seconds, the rustling stopped and a young man stepped out of the shadows. He looked around seventeen years old. His hair was dark and fell in curls over his face and down the back of his neck. His eyes were dark but warm and _very_ familiar. He was wearing dark clothing: a pair of trousers with riding boots, a dark green shirt and a deep brown jacket. In his arms was a child of about two years old, staring at Emma with wide eyes.

"Da," the child said, patting the young boy's cheek and pointed to Emma happily.

"Yea," the boy replied with a smile. "I see her, Henry. She's pretty, isn't she?"

The child—Henry?—giggled suddenly. He nodded enthusiastically. Emma slowly lowered the rock, staring in disbelief at the young man.

"Neal?" she whispered, not believing her eyes.

Neal(?) smiled at her. "Hey Emma."

"What the _hell_? Why do you look so young?"

Neal grimaced. "Backlash. When your magic collided with Morgana's, it sent a magical backlash back at both parties. Somehow, it de-aged not only you but myself and Henry as well."

Emma blinked in surprise. "De-aged?!"

Neal—or was it Baelfire now—laughed before walking forward. "You're probably about fifteen now. I'm not really sure. I didn't meet you until you were seventeen and the change is almost shocking."

Emma stopped suddenly, her mouth partially open. She shut it quickly. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

Baelfire raised an eyebrow before he grinned, a carefree smile that Emma _knew_ belonged only to Neal. She bit her lip, wanting definite proof that he was who he said he was.

"Ask me anything, Emma," Baelfire smiled as he adjusted a squirming Henry.

"What did you say the first time we met? The whole thing."

Bae grinned. "'Impressive. But you could have just asked me for the keys'," he replied easily.

Emma dropped the rock and scrambled to her feet, throwing her arms around the two most important people in her life. Henry laughed, tugging lightly at his mother's hair. Emma sighed in relief as Bae wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. She pulled back and stared into his warm brown eyes. She looked to Henry.

"Why did Henry get de-aged?"

Bae shrugged. "I'm guessing because he was holding onto you." He looked at his toddler son, who was watching him with intelligent eyes. "I think he is aware what is going on. He can't communicate well because of the age his body is at but his mind is still that of a twelve year olds.

Emma sighed suddenly. "Is he going to be alright?"

Henry simple gave Emma a look of disbelief, one that had her laughing. "I take it back," she giggled. "I think he is enjoying himself."

Henry nodded happily, burying his face into his father's jacket. Emma looked around.

"Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," Bae replied hesitantly. "I came to just past those bushes," he gestured to the place he had appeared from. He suddenly looked apprehensive. "Is the baby alright?"

Emma froze. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I can't access my magic."

Bae frowned. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the familiar looking dagger. A look of panic crossed his face as he stared at it. "It's blank," he whispered, showing her the clean dagger.

"What the hell?" Emma whispered quietly.

Bae looked around. "We have to get to a village or something. I don't even know where we are."

"Do you think we're in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked quietly.

Bae looked lost. "I don't know," he whispered, pulling Henry close.

He looked towards the sky suddenly, scanning the area with expert eyes. He quickly spotted something and pointed it out to Emma.

"There's smoke coming from that direction. There should be a village over there."

"Or it could be a brush fire," Emma suggested, taking Henry as he reached out to her.

Bae shook his head. "It's too small. The smoke from a brush fire would be bigger and black."

Emma raised an eyebrow. Bae turned to her and grinned. "You forget I lived on Neverland for about three hundred years. You get used to telling what the difference is between a regular and a set fire. Those are fires that people use to cook with."

Emma nodded, completely trusting his judgement. She pressed herself against his side. "Let's go then."

Bae nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder after he tucked the dagger away. The two quickly set off, making their way towards what they hoped was a friendly crowd. The pair walked for what felt like hours when, in reality, it had only been half an hour.

"There it is," Bae whispered quietly, looking in the direction of a small, worn down village.

"Do you think we can find everyone?" Emma asked, gripping his hand gently.

"Right now, I'm more worried about finding you a midwife or a doctor to check on the baby," Bae replied honestly. He continued walking until he came across an elderly gentleman. "Excuse me, sir."

The man turned. "Can I help you lad?" he whispered, his voice worn and cracking with age.

"I was looking for a mid-wife. My wife here," he gestured to Emma, who smiled politely, "is pregnant. We've been traveling for quite some time, longer than our doctor recommended she should."

The elder man raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you listen to your doctor's orders, then?"

Bae felt his temper flare but managed to keep a lid on it. "Our home was attacked. We didn't have a choice but to flee."

The man nodded. "I apologize if I came across as rude. It wasn't my intention." He turned to look at the village. "Keep going straight through the village until you come to a little hut at the edge. The lady of the house, Hunith, used to be a mid-wife. She had retired but she should still be able to help you." He turned back to the pair. "Where are you headed?"

Emma and Bae shared a look. "We're not sure," Emma replied honestly. They still had no idea what world they were in."

The man nodded. "This is Ealdor," he explained. "Our town is located at the edge of King Arthur's kingdom."

Emma's eyes widened as she realized where they had ended up. "I didn't realize we were this close to Camelot," she said as she looked at Bae. At least they knew where to head after they had the baby checked on.

The man nodded. "If you are heading to Camelot, Hunith is just the one you need to speak to. Her son works for the King."

Bae raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Aye," the man confirmed. He sighed. "I must be off. I still have me cattle to take care of. The best of luck to you both."

Emma nodded her thanks and looked down at Henry, who had been watching the exchange with interest. "So," she whispered, "we're in Arthur's realm."

"It would appear so," Bae replied as he took her hand and lead her towards Hunith's house. They arrived shortly as a middle aged woman stepped out to meet them.

"Those are some fine clothes," the woman smiled. "Where do the three of you venture from?"

Bae smiled. "We've come a long way. We were hoping you could help us. My wife is pregnant and we are worried about the child. We had to escape from our home when we were attacked and couldn't heed the doctor's orders."

Hunith motioned them in quickly. She took ahold of Emma's arm and pulled her forward. Emma quickly handed Henry to Bae and laid down on the table as instructed. Hunith walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bag, opening it quickly. She pulled out what looked like an old fashion stethoscope and turned to Bae.

"I'm going to have to ask the young lady to lift her dress so I can get a better look as to what's going on. You said the two of you were married?" she questioned.

Bae nodded. Hunith smiled. "Then I won't mind if you stay in her. You can hold her hand if you like." She turned to Emma. "I'm going to have to do a thorough exam to make sure nothing's wrong. Have you experienced any pain?"

Emma shook her head. "I haven't. We were just worried."

Hunith nodded before walking around and lifting Emma's dress. Bae maneuvered Henry around to where he wasn't able to see what was going on. It suited the twelve/two year old just fine, since he could now see both of his parents. Hunith set to work, quickly checking to see if Emma was bleeding. When she seemed satisfied, she moved to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Bae felt panic raise in him as the woman became quiet for a moment or two. She looked up at the couple and smiled.

"The baby is just fine," she replied.

Bae let out a sigh of relief that he had been holding in since Emma had first mentioned the baby. Emma laid her head back, closing her eyes as tears began to form in the corners. She pushed them back and grasped Bae's hand, smiling at him as Henry started giggling.

"What do we owe you?" Baelfire asked as he gave Emma's hand a squeeze in return.

Hunith waved him off, adjusting Emma's dress and helping her sit up. "All I ask is that you get that baby here safely. The child has a very strong heartbeat."

"Could we ask you for another favor?" Emma asked.

Hunith raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"We meet an elderly man earlier. He didn't tell us his name but he did say your son works for King Arthur in Camelot," Emma said as Henry climbed in her lap, placing his small hands on her baby bump. "Could you tell us how to get there?"

Hunith raised an eyebrow. "I can do better. I can take you there. I was planning on visiting my son anyways. I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Who is your son?" Bae asked, curious.

Hunith smiled. "He's King Arthur's servant. His name is Merlin."

Emma and Bae shared a look that caught Hunith's attention. She frowned. "Do you know my son?"

Emma nodded. "We meet him about three months ago." Emma turned to look at the older woman. "He mentioned his mother but he never told us your name. We're a little surprised is all."

Hunith looked a little suspicious, so Bae quickly made up his mind. "You might want to sit down," he said. He looked over at Emma. "This story might take a while."

Hunith sat and Emma and Bae preceded to tell her their story, starting with the tale of a humble spinner and his son.

~REGINAMILLS~

Arthur paced back and forth in front of his throne. His wife and queen was sitting in her chair, a look of calm and poise gracing her features; the exact opposite of what Arthur felt at the current moment. Snow White and Prince Charming were standing off to the side as Regina watched Arthur with interest. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were quietly discussing what to do about finding Neal. The Dark One wasn't the only one missing when the group had journeyed over to Camelot. Emma and Henry, they assumed, were with Neal. Killian Jones, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

"Where could they have gone?" Snow asked quietly.

Merlin shook his head. "Camelot is huge. There is no telling where they ended up at."

Arthur stopped pacing. "I'll send scouts out to different corners of the kingdom," he said, his voice like stone. "We'll find them."

"And what of Morgana?" Regina questioned. "We are exactly where she wanted to be. Now she can find… whoever it is you refuse to tell us about."

"I think you should tell them," Merlin said to Arthur, who shot him a glare in turn.

"Stay out of this, Merlin," Arthur warned. "This has nothing to do with you."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "It has everything to do with me. Morgana has been trying to kill me for years now and I certainly don't want to see what happens when she gets her hands on the Dark One, especially since we are back in Camelot."

Gwen placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. The King jumped, not even sure how long she had been standing there. "Merlin is your friend, Arthur. You and I both know that you would have died years ago if not for him. The least you could do is tell him how the whole thing started and with whom it began with."

Arthur sighed slowly through his nose. He walked up the small dais that lead to his throne before he slumped heavily into it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Where do I even begin?" he whispered quietly.

"From the beginning," Regina offered. "Who is he?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Emma, Neal, Henry, and Hook to get here first?" Snow asked rocking her sleeping son in her arms.

Regina shook her head. "We can have the scouts that are looking for them look for this person at the same time. As soon as we find either of them, which ever we find first, we can focus on finding the other. Kill two birds with one stone." Regina paused. "Metaphorically, of course."

Belle stepped forward. "I agree with Regina." She looked around at the shocked looks she was getting. "What? The faster we find Emma and Bae, the sooner they are safe from Morgana."

Arthur stood suddenly, walking down the steps again. "What did you say?" he asked, confusion dripping from his voice as he walked over to the Beauty.

Belle stepped back in surprise. "I agree with Regina?" she repeated in confusion.

"Not that," Arthur said, waving her off. "The names. What were the names you said?"

Belle frowned. "Emma and Bae. Neal," she clarified. She looked back at Rumple and frowned. The pair shared a look before Belle looked back at Arthur. "It's a nickname."

Arthur's shoulders dropped suddenly. Gwen was biting her lip and Gaius looked troubled.

"How in the Seven Hells do you get Bae out of Neal?" one of the knights asked. If Belle remembered correctly, his name was Sir Gwaine (the Sir part was mandatory, according to Merlin).

"You don't," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "'Neal Cassidy' is an alias my son created when he arrived in the Land Without Magic."

"Didn't he get it from a former thief, just changing the spelling?" Robin asked while Regina shook her head.

"Henry said that his Dad told him the name Neal was given to him when he ended up in the foster system. Cassidy was the name of the elderly woman that took him in before she passed away from cancer," Regina supplied.

"How is that relevant to the conversation?" Gwaine whined.

"You asked," Belle pointed out.

"What is Neal's real name then?" another knight—Percival—asked.

Rumpelstiltskin hobbled forward, standing next to his true love. "Baelfire," he said simply. "My son's name is Baelfire."

KILLIAN'HOOK'JONES!

Emma and Bae had just finished their tale when Hunith's door flew open. The same elderly man from before was leaning up against it, breathing heavily.

"Bill?!" Hunith said in surprise. "What on Earth?"

Bill sighed heavily. "There is some strange lad that just arrived into town. He is causing quite a bit of a ruckus with Old Maid Helen. He has a bit of a temper, swinging around his hook and shouting about finding someone named Swan."

Emma groaned, burying her face in her hands. Bae jump snickered and stood up, playing pass the toddler with Henry again. "I'll calm him down." He grinned suddenly. "He is going to be in for a big shock, seeing me like this."

"Give him a good knocking for me," Emma replied, bouncing Henry on her knee. He reached over and patted her cheek, making her stop. He gave her a funny look. "What is it Henry?" she asked.

He pointed to the door. "'Ook," he tried to say.

"You want to go see Hook?" Emma asked. Henry laughed in response. Emma stood up. "Alright then. I can give him that knocking."

Bae laughed and quickly followed old man Bill out the door and down a little ways. Sure enough, there was Killian Jones, arguing with an older woman who looked ready to hit him with the frying pan she held in her hand.

"Killian," Bae stopped and shouted.

Hook swirled around, his eyes scanning the crowd before they came to rest on the one face he never thought he would see again. Hook's face suddenly paled. "Baelfire?"

"Stop terrorizing the poor woman," Bae replied with a smile. "She looks ready to knock you out." He looked back at Emma. "Make that two women."

"How in the world?" Hook asked, walking forward, his gaze shifting from the younger Emma holding a two year old Henry to the seventeen year old face of Baelfire.

"Backlash," Bae replied simply. He turned to Hunith. "Could we trouble you again? We need to speak about a private matter."

Hunith smiled. "Of course. Follow me. While you four talk, I'll be getting things ready for the trip. We'll leave in a few hours."

They made their way back to Hunith's house. The lady of the home gave them some water before walking out of the door, saying she would be in the back if they needed her.

Hook turned to Bae. "Backlash?" he echoed.

Bae nodded. He pulled the Kris dagger out of his jacket and showed the blank side to the pirate. Hook's eyes widened as he took the dagger from Baelfire, examining it closely.

"When Morgana and Emma's spells collided, the backlash hit the three of use, reverting us back in age. There also seems to be a block on our magicks," he explained quickly.

"How did you end up close to us?" Emma asked. "Have you seen the others?"

Hook shook his head to the second question. "I suspect they all ended up together. As far as how I ended up with you four, I grabbed the back of Baelfire's jacket before Emma's spell hit Morgana's."

Emma nodded. "Neal and I ended up a few feet from each other."

"So," Hook began, looking at Henry. "Can the lad understand us?"

Henry nodded quickly. Hook raised an eyebrow.

"It's a similar case to ours," Bae explained quietly. "Our bodies changed but our minds stayed the same." He grinned down at his son. "I think he is enjoying the idea of sitting in his mom's lap all the time."

The three laughed as Henry pouted. Bae quickly took him from Emma and held him close. "Just messing with you buddy," he whispered. Henry grinned and hugged him around the next.

"Da," he responded softly.

"So what know?" Killian questioned, leaning his stool back to where his back was pressed against the wall.

"Hunith, Merlin's mother, has offered to take us to Camelot," Emma explained. "We're leaving as soon as she finished packing."

"Done," the older woman replied as she walked into the room, wiping her hands together.

"So we can go now?" Emma asked hopefully, wanting to get back to her family.

"Not quite yet, lass," Hunith replied. "I want you to rest for a few hours. I have a couple of things these men can help me with while you sleep." She didn't give Emma a chance to reply as she pulled her arms and lead her to the bed in the back, patting the pillow softly. "You can use my bed."

Henry squirmed in his father's arms before Bae sat him down. He quickly ran to Emma, who laughed and put him in the bed with her. "Do you want to take a nap with me, Henry?"

Henry yawned in response, laying his head on Emma's chest as his little hands gently rubbed her swollen stomach. Emma gave Bae a smile before she laid down. Hunith pulled a curtain in front of the bed, cutting off the light from the sun.

"Follow me, you two. I have just the job for you," she smiled.

The pirate and thief shared a look before they snickered. They quickly followed the woman out the door.

~BAELFIRE/NEALCASSIDY~

Morgana glared down at the fireplace of the little hovel she had been living in. She _hated_ staying there, hated every minute of it. At night, she could hear _his_ screams, tormented and tortured as the memories of the past came back to haunt her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to look at the hooks that hung down from the ceiling, the place where she had tied Merlin up. The place that _witch_ had keep _him_, day in and day out for three weeks.

When Morgana had first found the place, she was tempted to burn it to the ground. That was before finding the different spell books and potions that dated back to the very beginnings of the Old Religion. The witch had been a Priestess before she went mad, serving directly under Nimue. She had probably been a very powerful woman before her mind had snapped, sending her over the edge. It was her fault that _he_ had suffered for months after he was kidnapped.

Morgana quickly shook the memory away, biting her lip until it bleed. She drew in a shaking breath, pushing back the flood of memories and feelings that were associated with the young man from twenty years ago. She stood quickly, reaching for a vial of crimson liquid that was sitting innocently on one of the shelves. She studied it, wrinkling her nose at the blood, remembering the way the woman had spoken about getting the blood. She had bleed him, multiple times, the diary had read. Each in a different, more horrible way from the time before.

Morgana quickly reached for a map, laying it out for her to see. She opened the vial and carefully dipped a pure white crystal into it. She whispered a spell, her eyes flashing gold as the crystal turned blood red, soaking up the blood from the vial. She pulled the crystal out and dangled it above the map. She chanted another spell. With another flash of gold eyes, the crystal circled the map. Once. Twice. Thrice. Before it came to stop on the little village of Ealdor.

Morgana raised an eyebrow and watched as the crystal slowly inched its way down the little path that lead away from Merlin's home village. Morgana pressed her lips, knowing exactly where _he _was heading. She grabbed her black cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was time to return to Camelot.

SNOWWHITE/MARYMARGRET!

"Baelfire," Arthur whispered, shell-shocked. "Your…Neal…" He swallowed. "Neal's real name is Baelfire?"

Belle nodded, confused. "It is."

Arthur turned and slowly made his way back to his throne. When he eventually got there, he slumped down in the seat and pressed the heel of his palms to his burning eyes. Gwen looked as if she were about to pass out. Gaius looked as if he had solved a puzzle and wasn't very happy with the results.

"Shit," Arthur cursed.

Merlin raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear such a word coming from his King.

"Am I missing something here?" Regina asked, clearly pissed off.

Arthur silently turned to Merlin. "Could you play a memory for me?" he asked. "Using your magic?"

Merlin nodded, a little surprised. Even though Arthur had known about Merlin's magic for years, he rarely asked him to use it. "Just think of the memory from start to finish," he replied as he hovered a hand in front of Arthur's face.

Within moments, a small glass orb appeared in Merlin's hand, a tiny scene playing across its surface. Merlin chucked the orb against the wall opposite to everyone. Regina jumped, not expecting to be able to feel the magic that radiated from the spell. Her magic didn't work in this realm.

The group watched as a scene appeared. It was the courtyards of the castle, the training grounds for the knights. Belle blinked as a youthful looking Arthur strutted out onto the training field, his hand resting on the sword at his hips. A smirk graced his face as he looked at the terrified faces of the men before him. Behind him, Sir Leon rolled his eyes at the Prince's antics.

"Alright ladies," the then Prince Arthur said, arrogance rolling off of him in waves. "It's time to begin your first official day of training. I don't expect any of you to be able to hold your own, especially against me."

The bystanders heard a snort and looked over to see a pretty young woman reading a book and rolling her eyes. Her dark black hair fell gracefully down her back as he bright green eyes seemed to glow from the ivory color of her dress. "Shouldn't it be the other way, Arthur?" she asked.

Arthur glared at the woman. "No one asked you opinion, Morgana," he hissed.

Regina felt her mouth drop to the ground. "_That's_ Morgana?"

"We said she had changed a lot," Gwen replied, looking at her younger self that was standing behind Morgana.

The younger Morgana rolled her eyes, a smile on her face as she succeeded in annoying Arthur. She shut her book and turned to watch the group. "Prove me wrong then. I have a feeling that you are going to get your behind handed to you at some point today."

Prince Arthur rolled his eyes. "These…boys," he glanced at the trainees, "are no match for me. I've been trained from birth to kill."

"You were using that line even then?" Merlin whispered, causing King Arthur to swat him upside the head.

Morgana simply raised an eyebrow. She gesture for Arthur to continue, a challenging grin gracing her face. Prince Arthur huffed and continue on with the training session. Within minutes, the trainees were on their asses, their swords scattered across the ground. The younger Arthur wore a bored expression as the trainee he was facing continued to repeatedly drop his sword. Arthur rolled his eyes and swung his sword, knocking the blade out of the trainee's hand. The official Knights in the background jeered and laughed, clearly entertained by the session.

"You were a bit of an ass," Snow said, startling everyone by her choice of words.

"A bit?" Arthur questioned. "I would have to say, looking back on it, that I was more than _a bit_ of an ass. I'm about to get it handed to me, by the way," he replied as he gesture to the screen.

In the memory, the younger Arthur brought the sword down towards the defenseless trainee, not seeming to care that he didn't have a shield. The bystanders bit back their cries of surprise, remembering what King Arthur had just said. Belle flinched as she saw the blade descend, biting her lip as she imagined it hitting the defenseless boy.

Needless to say, the group was shocked when another sword caught his, stopping the blade mid swing. Prince Arthur looked stunned as he stared at the hooded figure that had blocked his strike. Before he could even react, the hooded figure twirled his wrist, twisting Arthur's blade in his, sending it to the ground. His leg shot out, kicking the Prince of Camelot in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Within seconds, the hooded figure was surrounded by ten of the knights. He simple tilted his head to the side, clearly watching them.

One of the knights, a barley looking man, ran forward, letting out a shout as he thundered towards the person. Snow gasped as the hooded figure stayed in his place. That it, until the very last second, when he dropped down on one knee and effortlessly kicked the man in the shins. The knight howled and the hooded figure danced around him, knocking him in the back of the head with the butt of his sword.

The rest of the nine knight swarmed him. It didn't seem to faze him, however. He simple ducked and weaved his way through the knights, effectively taking out every single one until there was only one standing. The man gulped and held up his sword.

"You got lucky," he shouted. "Besides the Prince, I am the best swords fighter in all of Camelot!" he boasted loudly.

The hooded figure pulled out of a fighting stance and observed the man before him. He tilted his head again. "If he is the best, I would hate to see what you can do," a youthful voice replied, causing the man's face to turn red.

Belle felt her True Love freeze beside her. She looked over and frowned at how pale Rumple had gotten. She tried to get his attention for a moment before she gave up and turned back to the memory.

"I will take you down with one swing of my sword," the man bellowed, his eyes bloodshot and steam seemed to be pouring out of his ears.

"I can take you down with less," the hooded figure replied, clearly smirking.

He then dropped the sword, his hands disappearing behind his back. The knight's face turned an even deeper shade of red. He shouted and charged, running full speed at the young man. He was definitely smirking this time. Within seconds, he pulled a bow out from behind his back, notched the arrow, and let it fly. The arrow hit the sword right in the center of the blade, shattering it to little pieces. The young man wasted no time on his little victory, however, as he kicked the sword he had dropped moments before into the air, twirled it in his hand to get a better grip, and spun, letting the blade come to rest under the chin of an older man.

The man raised an eyebrow. He was very well dressed in reds and gold; the colors of royalty. Everyone could tell that this was Arthur's father: the former King Uther Pendragon. His golden crown rested upon his head as he curiously watched the young man before him.

"Impressive," Uther commented, pushing the blade out from under his chin with his index finger. "Where did you learn to fight like that, boy? Was your family in the military at one point? Your father a knight, perhaps."

The hooded figure let the sword dip until the blade touched the ground. "My father was in the army, once upon a time. He couldn't teach me anything, however. He was discharged due to an injury."

Uther nodded and turned to Arthur. "That's the fighting level you need to be at." He turned back to the young man. "How old are you boy?"

"Fifteen, sire," he replied with a slight bow.

Uther nodded. His eyes gleamed with interest. "And are you of nobility, young man?"

The fifteen year old shook his head. "No, Your Highness. My father was but a simple spinner."

Uther frowned, clearly disappointed. "No matter. You never did answer where you learned to fight like that."

The young man stiffened suddenly. "I lived on an island with a group of boys, sire," he replied after a moment or two of silence. "It was kill or be killed. There was one boy running the whole place. He was a tyrant, really. He seemed to have it out for me. I learned to fight so that I could survive."

Prince Arthur, who had gotten to his feet and was now standing beside his father, watched him in interest. "Could you teach me how to do that?" he asked, his eyes bright with excitement. "The disarming move?"

The young man stared for a moment, clearly thrown at the lack of hostility from the person he had sent to the ground. "Uh, sure," he replied eventually.

Morgana walked forward, a wide grin on her face. "I told you that you would get your ass handed to you," she said gleefully, her eyes sparkling with humor.

Prince Arthur rolled his eyes good naturedly. He turned back to the hooded figure. "This is my father's ward, the Lady Morgana," he introduced as Morgana gave a curtsy.

The hooded figure bowed. "My lady," he replied politely.

"And I am Prince Arthur," Arthur continued, holding his hand out to the young man.

The young man stared at the hand for a moment before he reached up and pulled his hood back. The young man was very handsome, with his curl, dark hair and warm brown eyes. His eyes seemed to reflect more than just his fifteen years of age. Regina inhaled sharply, staring at the very same eyes that Henry had inherited, eyes that used to look up at her with love and affection. Eyes that had been passed from Rumpelstiltskin to Neal and, finally, to Henry.

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," he replied, grasping the Prince's hand. "My name is Baelfire. Call me Bae."


	12. Revelations

To Have and To Hold

Chapter Twelve: Revelations

**Author's Note: I went back and edited Chapter Eleven. I forgot to add a line of dialog in Bae's flight scene (i totally almost wrote Fight Song btw). Hopefully, the scene will flow better. Hope you like the next chapter.**

"Holy shit," Robin breathed as everyone took the scene in.

Belle grabbed ahold of Rumple's arm, just as his legs gave out. Merlin must have noticed because a chair suddenly appeared behind the former Dark One. Belle gently lowered her love into it, sending Merlin a glance of thanks.

"Bae," Rumple whispered staring at his son as Baelfire showed the younger Arthur the different assortment of blades and weapons he had under his cloak. Morgana watched with equal interest. The image faded out, disappearing quickly into a swirl of white smoke. The room became deafeningly silent.

"So he really is your son," Arthur said with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

"It seems the memory potion worked like it should have," Regina said looking at Gaius.

Gaius nodded. "It was designed to take all of his memories from Camelot away."

"Why?" Belle asked. "Why did Uther take his memories away?"

Gaius was quiet for a moment. He sighed heavily, reaching up to rub his eyes. He looked up to meet Rumpelstiltskin's eyes. "Uther hated magic," he replied.

"So did my son," Rumpelstiltskin replied, his temper flaring.

Gaius blinked. "Baelfire hated magic, yes, but he had multiple connections to it that Uther couldn't overlook."

Arthur looked up. "Besides the time he was kidnapped?"

Belle felt her stomach turn, recalling Morgana's accusations against Arthur. "Oh my god," she breathed, covering her hand with her mouth and sank to the floor beside Rumple. "The witch…"

Arthur nodded, unable to reply due to the burning in his throat. He cleared his throat as best he could.

"That's how he was exposed to the Old Religion," Regina said, folding her arms. "That woman seared it into his soul." She looked a little green just thinking about it.

"What other connections did he have?" Gwen asked. "Uther overlooked that one because he was kidnapped. He even announced the pardon to everyone so that Bae wouldn't seem like he was breaking the law."

"Uther was able to overlook that, yes," Gaius replied. "Other things, however…"

"Let me guess," Davis said. "His father being the Dark One?"

"Or his time on Neverland," Snow suggested.

"Don't forget his grandfather being Peter Pan," Red supplied from her spot against the wall.

"Or the fact that he hadn't aged in three hundred years," Robin suggested.

"Holy hell," Arthur whispered. "I never knew how involved he was with magic."

"It was never his choice," Rumpelstiltskin replied quietly. He looked up to Gaius. "What was the main reason Uther sent my son away?"

Gaius looked him directly in the eyes. "He was scared of you," he replied. "It would seem that Peter Pan paid Uther a visit, telling him exactly who Baelfire was. He even let it slip that you were trying to find a way to cross realms to find him."

Rumpelstiltskin hung his head. He laughed bitterly. "My fault again, it seems. I can do nothing but cause him trouble.

"Why did this Pan person do that?" Gwen asked. "He could have left him well enough alone. Bae could have been happy here. Why tell Uther all of that if he was as far away from Pan as possible?"

Regina shook her head. "Pan had another agenda. He needed Baelfire…Neal to return to the Land Without Magic. It was only there that he would have meet Emma and Henry would have been born."

Arthur looked up. "What?" he asked, his voice full of confusion.

Belle sighed, looking up at Rumple. "Pan needed Henry to be born." She turned back to the group. "He needed Henry's heart."

Merlin pushed off the wall. "What did he need it for?" he asked, curiosity coating his voice.

"Henry is the Truest Believer. Pan needed his heart to become completely immortal," Regina supplied.

Merlin leaned up against the side of Arthur's throne, his hand cradling his chin, deep in thought. "So Pan somehow predicted that Henry would be born? Was he a Seer?"

The people from the Enchanted Forest froze.

"No," Rumpelstiltskin muttered eventually. "He wasn't. Even the power from Neverland wouldn't have given him that."

"Then how the hell did he know that Henry would be born?" Regina questioned. "How could he possibly know that Baelfire was in Camelot and he—Pan—needed to tell Uther all about Baelfire's past in order to get him thrown out?"

"How did Bae even get from Camelot to the Enchanted Forest in the first place?" Belle asked, looking around, tucking her legs underneath her. "He used the Shadow to get off of Neverland. He must have arrived in Camelot shortly afterwards."

Merlin rubbed his face. "This is getting even more confusing."

"Should we tell Morgana?" Gwen asked suddenly, her hands clenched in her lap.

"No," Rumpelstiltskin countered. "Absolutely not. She's the whole reason we're in his mess in the first place."

"No," Regina said, cutting him off. "My crazy sister is the reason. If she hadn't tricked Neal into opening the Vault, he wouldn't have become the Dark One."

"Speaking of," David said. "Is she still back in Storybrook?"

"I don't know," Regina replied honestly.

Belle buried her face in her hands. "This is all so confusing." She looked up. "First things first, we have to find Neal, Emma, Henry, and Hook. With luck, they ended up landing together."

"I still say we need to tell Morgana," Gwen said. "Think of how mad she is going to be after she finds out we keep this from her."

"You also wanted to tell her Baelfire was alive," Regina chimed. "That's how were ended up here in the first place."

"We'll tell her," Arthur cut in, receiving glares from a majority of the foreign group. "After we find them and make sure they are safe. We don't need her beating us to them." He turned to Sir Leon. "I need you to send our best men out. Give them a description of who they are looking for."

"I can conjure images," Merlin suggested. "That way they can keep the pictures with them."

"Do that then," Arthur agreed. "Can you also enchant something to keep everyone in contact with each other?"

"What?" Sir Leon said suddenly.

Merlin grinned. "Oops. Guess the cat is out of the bag," he snickered.

"Merlin has magic, Leon," Arthur explained.

"And you don't mind?" Sir Leon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arthur shook his head. "I've known since the Battle of Camlann." He turned back to his best friend. "Can you?"

Merlin nodded. With a wave of his hand and a flash of gold eyes, small little stones appeared on the ground. The glowed a pale gold for a moment before they faded, revealing a pale purple stone underneath. Merlin waved his hand, sending the stones out to the rest of the Knights. Every single one of them look shocked, all but Sir Gwaine, who was grinning so wide, it looked like his face was about to split in half. He gave a little dance.

"I knew it," he laughed, dancing around.

Merlin rolled his eyes as Arthur stood. The King turned to his Knights. "This task takes priority over anything else. I don't even know what we will do if Morgana discovers who the Dark One," he grimaced, "really is." He looked at Merlin, who calmly created and distributed images of the four missing people to everyone else. "Find these four at all costs."

"The stones are designed to light up when you squeeze them," Merlin explained, holding up one of the stones. He applied pressure by holding the stone between his thumb and forefinger. The stones that the Knights were holding flashed gold. Gwaine nearly dropped his in surprise. Merlin grinned. "They will also temporarily heat up. When you find one of them, activate it once. If you find more than one, activate it for the number of people you find. Hopefully, they will be together."

"What if we find them and need to get back quickly?" Percival asked, always thinking ahead.

Merlin grinned. "Drop the stone and crush it. It will send a small teleporting spell out within a ten foot radius. Make sure they stay as close to you as possible."

"And their names?" Elyan asked quickly.

Regina stepped forward as Merlin conjured an image of Emma. "This woman's name is Emma Swan. She can tell if you are lying." The image switched. "This is Baelfire, or Neal Cassidy. You all saw his younger self in the memory." Regina paused as the image shifted again. Regina's face softened. "This is Henry Mills, my adopted son, as well as Emma and Neal's son. I won't go into the family tree. It will just get confusing."

Belle snorted at the understatement of the year.

The image shifted one last time. "This man's name is Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook. When you meet him, you will see why he is called 'Hook'," Regina finished and gave Merlin a nod in thanks.

"Is that understood men?" Arthur asked, straightening his back for the first time since they had arrived in Camelot.

The Knights saluted and quickly left, knowing exactly how important their mission was. As soon as they were out the door, Arthur slumped into his seat again. He turned to Gaius.

"Send word to Queen Annis of Caerloen. I want her to know what exactly is going on," Arthur said, thinking of his long standing treaty with one of his closest allies.

"Should we send word to Corona as well?" Gwen asked.

Arthur frowned. "Corona is a Port Kingdom," he said. "What do they have anything to do with this?"

Gwen gave her husband a look. "We don't know where they ended up. I would rather cover our bases now rather than later."

Arthur sighed, clearly outwitted by his wife. He turned to Gaius. "Send word to Corona as well. Tell the Queen to keep an eye out for those four."

Merlin quickly created images of the four that looked like sketches. He handed them to Gaius.

"Make sure you get their noses right," Arthur said suddenly, a grin stretched across his face.

Merlin laughed out loud. Gwen cracked a little smile and Gaius shook his head in amusement. Arthur laughed at the look of confusion on their guests' faces.

"The Prince Consort of Corona always complains that people can't get his nose right," Arthur explained with a grin. "The Queen never lets him live it down."

"I will have these delivered right away, Sire," Gaius bowed and walked out the door.

"I guess all we can do now is wait," Belle commented as she folded her hands in her lap.

Merlin hummed as he leaned back against the wall. He looked to Regina. "Would you like to accompany me in researching? I'm sure you will find this world's magic interesting."

Regina straightened her back and nodded. "I would be more than glad to," she replied, glad that she had something to keep her mind on or else she would be constantly worrying about Henry.

"Might Belle and I accompany you as well?" Rumpelstiltskin asked as he slowly stood from his chair. He held his hand out to Belle, who gratefully took it and stood gracefully.

"Of course," Merlin agree easily.

"What are we researching?" Belle asked, her voice filled with excitement as she was eager to see the library.

"I was wanting to see it there would be any lasting effects from what that witch did to Baelfire," he said. "Gwen," he looked to his Queen and his first friend in Camelot, "is there anything you can remember?"

Gwen pressed her lips and shook her head. "He never told anyone but Gaius the full story and that was only because he lived in Gaius's quarters."

"I'll have someone send Gaius your way when he returns from having those letters delivered," Arthur said before turning to the rest of the group. "I'll have a servant show you where you can stay for the time being. Dinner will be prepared in a few hours and I will have someone fetch you from your quarters."

"Where are you going?" Gwen asked, knowing the look on her husband's face.

"To blow off some steam," he replied. "I'm going to head to the training grounds."

"Mind if I join you?" Charming asked. "I'm too wired to be able to sit back."

Arthur nodded. "I don't mind. I need a fighting partner anyways," he sighed as he rubbed his aching head.

~ONCEUPONATIME~

Hook sighed as he rubbed the back of his aching neck, his eyes scanning the forest of a potential threat. The group had been traveling for a day now, having left Ealdor as soon as Emma awoke from her nap. Hunith had said it would take about two to two and a half days to reach Camelot at the rate they were going.

Emma sat in the wagon, her arms crossed, fuming. Bae sat next to her, holding Henry in his lap. He stayed close but not close enough to where she could hit him again. He already had a bruise on his shoulder from the last time. Emma knew she shouldn't be mad at Neal. He was just doing what he thought was best for her, and the baby, but she couldn't help feeling useless. She closed her eyes and thought back to the conversation that they had shared before leaving Ealdor.

"_I don't think you should have a sword, Emma," Bae said as he effortlessly strung a bow, making the string as tight as he could without hindering the bow's performance. He grabbed a handful of small blades that the villages had given to the group and quickly stashed them away in the cloak he had gotten from Hunith._

"_And why not?" Emma countered, her temper raising._

_Bae looked over at her and gave her a look that would normally calm her down but, in that moment, it only infuriated her even more. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying anything nasty that she might regret later. He picked up the sword on the table and tied it to his belt, exhaling slowly to keep his breathing even. Emma could tell that he was extremely tense. He looked around, assessing the area, as if expecting an enemy to suddenly appear._

_He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "A sword requires close range combat, something I am not comfortable with while you are pregnant."_

"_Are you saying I don't know how to fight?" Emma asked suddenly._

_Bae gave her a confused look. "I'm not saying that. I'm saying I would rather you let myself and Hook do the fighting, if it ever comes down to it." As soon as he said it, Bae flinched, as if knowing Emma's temper spiked._

_Emma quickly slugged him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble a little out of surprise. "I can defend myself, Neal," she hissed, storming off even as he tried to get her to talk to him._

Bae sighed suddenly and moved over closer to Emma. She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye as she turned to face away from him slightly.

"Emma," he said softly, his tone apologetic. "Talk to me. Please?" he whispered.

Emma felt her anger begin to deflate a little. She sighed and turned to face him. "I'm listening," she said finally, tapping her foot a little.

"I know why you're mad," he continued, taking her hand into his. "I'm not trying to make it seem like you shouldn't fight it the situation calls for it. I know that you hate not feeling useful, especially in a situation that is out of your control." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I just don't want anyone to get close enough to you to be able to hurt you or the baby."

Emma felt her temper spike again. She really blamed it on the hormones. "So what can I do?" she questioned. "I'm not going to just sit back and watch."

Bae raised an eyebrow. "And I'm not saying you should." He thought for a moment. "How about this?" he continued. "Next time we stop, I'll teach you how to either us a bow and arrow or how to throw knives. Will that make you feel better?"

Emma exhaled softly through her nose. She knew she was being unreasonable. Neal was only trying to look out for her and the baby's safety. She finally looked him in the eyes and nodded. "Ok," she agreed.

Bae gave her a grin, one that always made her knees turn weak. As strange as it was to be talking to Neal's younger self, she quickly found that she rather liked speaking to Baelfire. Sure, Baelfire and Neal were the same person but Emma like seeing what he might have been like if she had grown up in the Enchanted Forest. She liked to believe that she and Bae would have meet anyways, whether it be through fate or destiny, she wasn't sure. She just knew with everything in her body that they were destined to meet and would always find a way back to each other. The events of the past two years were proof enough for that.

"Da," Henry said, getting his father's attention.

Bae looked down and smiled at his son. Henry made a funny face, causing his father to laugh. It, in turn, made Henry laugh. It must have been rather contagious because, soon, everyone was snickering and giggling.

"There is a little clearing up the ways," Hunith said after she had stopped laughing. "We can rest there for a few hours. Stretch our legs."

"Sounds great," Killian replied, glad that the tension had finally disappeared. He had been almost up to his ears in frustration at the tension between the expecting couple.

Even though he had been competing with Baelfire before over Emma's affection, he knew that the two cared for each other more than he could possibly hope to do. Bae brought out the best in Emma, her carefree smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the elegant chime of her laughter. In turn, Emma keep back all of Bae's inner turmoil. Killian knew that the lad had suffered greatly all his life. Hook himself was responsible for one of the many events that had shaped him to be the way that he was. Not only had he taken his mother from him, he had also been the one to give him over to the Lost Boys when the lad refused to help Killian in his quest for revenge against the Crocodile.

And that was only the tip of the iceberg. While aboard the Jolly Roger, Baelfire had told him of the living conditions of the streets of Victorian London. From what he described, the streets were absolute Hell. Children that lived on the streets disappeared at random; some were sent to work in factories or to orphanages while others were never able to see the light of day again. Some, a majority, were sent to work houses, much like the one Bae had been sent to a month after arriving in London. He had left after a month but not before witnessing the horrors that the place held. Even the worst child abusers looked like saints compared to the people that ran the work house. Bae had been luck to stumble upon the Darlings when he did.

And yet, despite every horrible and tragic thing that had happened to him, Baelfire had remained completely true to who he was. He didn't take the easy way out, much like Killian had done in the past. Instead of seeking revenge on those that had hurt him, Bae had chosen to see the very best in others. He took everything the world threw at him in stride, a grin on his face and a family behind him, a family that continued to grow with each passing day.

"Killian!"

The captain snapped out of his thoughts suddenly. "Yes, lad?" he asked as he stared down into Baelfire's warm brown eyes.

"Where did you go?" he asked with a grin. "I hope you remembered to check out. The price to stay might be a little high."

The pirate blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry. What?"

Emma laughed. "I keep forgetting that he isn't familiar with modern jokes."

Bae turned to her suddenly. "Sounds like the perfect way to drop some inside jokes, doesn't it?"

Emma laughed again, leaving Killian feeling lost. He smiled anyways, however, as he watched the three of them: Baelfire, Emma, and Henry.

"Too bad the Doctor's not here," Emma said with a smile. "I could definitely use the TARDIS to get to Camelot in no time."

"That reminds me," Bae said as he pointed in her direction. "You never did tell me which Doctor was your favorite."

"Now I am officially lost," Hook complained as he walked over to help Hunith gather some firewood.

"I've never seen the original series," Emma admitted. "My favorite had always been Ten."

"Really?" Bae asked, raising an eyebrow. "I take it you're a Ten and Rose kind of girl?"

Emma nodded. "I love those two!" She looked at Bae. "What about you?"

"I rather like Eleven, myself," he admitted.

"So, Eleven and River or Eleven and Clara?"

Bae frowned. "That's a hard one. I love the chemistry between River and Eleven but I also love the banter between him and Clara." He paused for a moment. "If I had to choose, I would have to say River and Eleven. They just go so well together."

Emma gave an easy grin. "Like Bonnie and Clyde?"

Bae returned her grin just as easily. "Or Emma and Neal," he said, remembering all the fun the two had had while in Portland for that one year.

Emma laughed. "But it makes sense that he's your favorite, considering how childish Eleven can be," she continued, effortlessly steering the topic back to Doctor Who.

Bae rolled his eyes. "That's not the only reason."

"So it is a reason?" Emma asked, her grin growing wider.

Bae gave her a look as she smothered her giggles. He shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face before he could stop it. "His character is just so complex," Bae admitted. "On the outside, he is this fun, happy-go-lucky kind of person. He uses that as a mask to cover up all of the hurt he has gone through. He wants nothing more than to forget about his past and he seems to do so by acting like a carefree person, almost to the point of seeming like he doesn't care. But the whole matter of the fact is that he does care, especially after what happens to Amy and Rory."

Emma watched him closely. "Kind of like you."

Bae turned to her, surprised. "What?"

Emma gave him a small smile. "You hide behind your own goofy nature, trying to get away from the things that have happened in your past. When I first meet you, I didn't think there was any possible way I could take you seriously." She paused for a moment, bending down to pick Henry up as he tugged lightly at her dress. "After a while, I began to see the person behind the cheery mask." She looked him in the eyes. "I found I rather like getting to know both the carefree side of you and the side that cares almost too much."

Baelfire watched her with wide eyes before he slowly smiled, a smile that held both happiness and sorrow. "I can't get anything past you." He ran a hand through his hair before looking at her. "You should have totally been in Ravenclaw, by the way. You are way to insightful for your own good."

Emma grinned. "What does that make you? A Gryffindor?"

Bae snorted. "I honestly don't know. I would like to think I have a little of all the houses inside me," he replied honestly. He cleared his throat suddenly. "Now how about those lessons."

Emma smiled and followed Bae as he grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows as well as a small supply of throwing knives.

~THEWICKEDWITCH~

Zelena leaned up against the wall as the dark haired woman glided across the floor, dancing from a table laden with different ingredients, to a cauldron that bubbled and brewed over an open flame. The woman hummed lightly to herself as she grabbed different items and expertly mixed them into the potion.

"Is it almost ready?" Zelena asked, watching the woman patiently.

"Almost, my dear," she smiled. "Things would go even more quickly if my hovel hadn't been overtaken by _someone_," she drawled, flicking in another ingredient.

"And everything that you said would come to pass did?" Zelena asked as she walked over to the mirror that hung on the far wall. He lip curled as she took in the image of the younger Emma and Baelfire, practicing how to hold a bow properly. She quickly turned back around so she didn't lose her appetite.

The woman smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with ill-intent and deadly promises. Her marron colored dress brushed the floor as she walked over to the mirror and waved her hand. The image zoomed in, hovering on Baelfire's face as he calmly whispered something into Emma's ear as he help her pull the bow string back. He stopped and looked directly into the mirror, frowning. Zelena froze.

"Can he see use?" she whispered.

"Of course not," the woman waved her off. "He is, however, sensing the magic that is spying on him." The woman grinned viciously. "I knew I picked the perfect candidate."

Zelena leaned back against the wall. "But he has no access to the Darkness. How are you hoping for your plan to work?"

The woman rolled her eyed, flicking her long, waving black hair over her shoulder. She waved her hand, dispelling the image from the mirror. She leaned forward and began to check her reflection for non-existent age spots and wrinkles. She smiled, her skin as flawless as it had been twenty years ago. "When Morgana and Emma's spells collided, they backlashed on the ones in the closest vicinity to the casters. Arthur wasn't harmed because of Emrys and Morgana was able to counter the backlash because of her familiarity with the Old Religion."

She paused and turned around to face Zelena. "Emma, Baelfire, and little Henry got the brunt of the backlash, considering that none of them are as familiar with the Old Religion as Morgana. Baelfire has experience with it but be honestly cannot remember anything about it."

"Both the pirate didn't revert in age," Zelena countered.

The woman rolled her eyes. "That's because the pirate doesn't have any magic. There's nothing for the magical backlash to hit."

Zelena nodded, the theory seeming sound. "What's next?"

"Keep an eye on that potion," the woman instructed as she grabbed a black cloak. She carefully tossed it over her shoulder. "As soon as it turned gold, add the final ingredient then immediately take it off of the fire. If it boils after the last thing is added, it will explode," she said in a calm manner, as if speaking of the weather instead of a potion.

Zelena held up the last ingredient, a vial of crimson liquid. She examined it closely. "This is what you used to make that poison Morgana used, isn't it?"

The woman nodded, looking yet again in the mirror, adjusting her cloak and hair in just the right way. "It is. Don't drop it. It's all I have left."

"Can't you just get more from him?" Zelena asked, carefully sitting the vial down nonetheless.

The woman shook her head. "No. I need that potion to get him to cooperate. It will help us in the long run if we use it as fast as possible."

Zelena nodded. "Guess you're right," she smiled.

The woman grinned back. "Mother knows best," she sang before she turned and walked out the door, leaving Zelena alone with the potion. She smiled cunningly. Everything was paying off nicely.


	13. Found

To Have and To Hold

**Author's Note: I am so sorry for the later delay. I have hit a really bad case of writer's block. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but I hope that everyone will enjoy it. Please leave me any type of comments or reviews. I love to hear feedback from everyone.**

**Disclamier: I think I have forgotten to put this in the previous chapters but, here it is. _Once Upon a Time_ is owned by ABC and its writers while _Merlin_ belongs to BBC and the respective writers.**

Chapter Thirteen: Found

Baelfire frowned as he looked around. For a moment there, he could have sworn he felt someone watching him. As odd as it sounds, he could almost feel the magic that had coated the air.

"Neal?" Emma asked, noticing his lack of moment. "What is it?'

Bae was quiet for a moment as he looked around. He clenched his jaw, not really sure how to proceed. He exhaled sharply, making one more mental sweep of the area before he turned back to Emma. "We need to leave," he finally said, his eyes still searching.

Emma frowned. "But we just stopped."

Bae wasted no time at all. He took the bow and arrow from Emma, returning the arrow to the quiver and slinging the bow over his shoulder. He bent down and picked Henry up and handed him to his mother. As soon as Henry was in Emma's arms, he surprised her be picking the both of them up bridal style. Emma yelped in surprise as Bae quickly made his way over to the wagon, gently depositing Emma in the back. He quickly turned.

"Killian!" he shouted, getting the man's attention. "We need to go! Now!"

The pirate turned and immediately picked up on the stress in Baelfire's voice. He quickly alerted Hunith and the pair dropped the fire wood they had collected and made their way swiftly to the wagon. Killian helped the older woman up at the head and quickly jumped up to the front.

"What is it, lad?" he asked, his expression completely serious.

"Someone was spying on us," he clarified as he hopped into the back of the wagon, placing himself in front of Emma. He quickly pulled the bow off of his arm and pulled the string back, an arrow effortlessly falling into place. "I don't know who but I have a gut feeling it isn't good."

Hunith quickly set the wagon going, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Hook pulled his sword from its sheath, keeping the blade ready if he needed it suddenly. Emma clenched Henry to her chest, the bright two year old staying as quiet and as still as possible. The next six hours passed slowly, Baelfire and Hook never once dropping their stances, something Emma found extremely impressive. Emma couldn't help but think of how well the two of them worked together, especially if they weren't fighting over something like little children. She bit her lip as her mind flashed back to the Dark Hollows of Neverland.

The next two hours proceeded in silence. Baelfire stayed as tense as he was when they had first started the ride. Emma opened her mouth to ask if they were safe now but she stopped when she heard a noise. She snapped her mouth shut and listened closely.

"There's a rider up ahead," Killian whispered. He turned to look back at Emma. "I need you to lay down and cover yourself and Henry. Stay as still as possible."

Emma looked to Bae, who simply nodded in agreement. Emma stiffed a sigh as she quietly laid down and pulled the cover over her head, holding Henry to her. The toddler was quiet, staring at her with intelligent eyes. Emma waited quietly, listening for any sign of distress coming from her traveling companions. She bit her lip as she heard the galloping getting closer.

As soon as Emma was safely under the cover, Bae quickly pulled his hood up, shadowing his face from view. It didn't hinder his own sight, however, as he quickly took in the white and beige colored mare and her red caped rider. Bae frowned, watching the person, who was obviously a Knight, if their shining armor was anything to go by.

"Lady Hunith?" the person called out, surprise coating their voice.

"Sir Leon," Hunith said in delight. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Bae let his guard drop a little but not enough to leave him defenseless should someone suddenly attack.

"What brings you a day's journey from Camelot?" Hunith questioned.

"Searching for some people," the man answered. Bae frowned as he took in the man's appearance. Something about him was extremely familiar.

"And who are you looking for, mate?" Killian asked.

Bae flinched. The pirate shouldn't have said anything. Leon looked over at Hook and his eyes widened suddenly.

"You, actually," he replied.

Killian's guard went up immediately. He really didn't like where this was going. Hunith noticed the suspicious look.

"Who sent you, Sir Leon?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"King Arthur, of course," the Knight replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Bae felt himself physically relax, which was strange, considering his mind was still on high alert. Before he could even stop her, Emma sat up, tossing the blanket aside. Bae groaned before running a hand across his face. As much as he hated the fact that she had revealed herself, Bae knew Emma could handle just about anything. Sir Leon looked surprised as he regarded the young woman. Bae sighed in defeat before pushing the hood of his cloak back. He blinked in surprise when Leon's eyes nearly fell out of his head in shock. The knight quickly broke himself out of his stupor.

"We have to get you three…four," he corrected upon seeing Henry, "to the castle as soon as possible."

Hunith frowned. "But Camelot is still at least a day and a half away."

Leon reached into the small poach attacked to his armor and pulled out a small stone. "This will take you to Camelot. I don't think it will take the wagon so I will accompany Lady Hunith the rest of the way."

Emma frowned. "What's the rush?"

"Danger," Bae replied as he took in Leon's caution expression. The older Knight nodded in response.

Bae held his hand out and Leon gently deposited the stone into his palm. The young man looked the stone over for a moment, easily sensing the magic under the surface. He jumped out of the wagon and helped Emma out quickly. He turned back to Leon.

"Thank you," he replied, not really sure why.

The Knight, however, seemed to understand something he didn't. Leon smiled and nodded, his face a mixture of relief and apprehension. "Go," he motioned to the stone.

Killian quickly stood beside the three and observed the small stone. "How do we…"

Bae didn't wait for the rest of his sentence. He simple dropped the stone on instinct and stomped on it, releasing the teleportation spell it was hiding. Baelfire looked up and meet Hunith's eyes, who was smiling.

"Thank you," he said, before the three disappeared.

"What is this about, Leon?" Hunith asked as she turned to look at the knight.

Leon simply smiled and helped the woman back up to the front of the wagon. "It's a long story," he replied with a smile.

~~ONCEUPONATIME~~

Bae stumbled as his feet hit the ground. He caught Emma as her legs buckled. He would have tumbled to the ground himself if Killian hadn't grabbed him by the back of his hood.

"Careful, lad," the pirate said as he helped him stand.

"Thanks," he replied honestly. He looked at Emma. "Are you alright?"

Emma smiled and nodded. "We're fine," she replied, motioning to herself and Henry.

"Nice castle," Killian commented.

Bae looked over and couldn't help the strange sense of home-coming that washed over him as he took in the castle. He frowned as he looked up at the ivory stones, a feeling of familiarity washing over him like a wave. He nearly flinched when a sharp pain appeared behind his eyes.

"Now, which way to the throne room?" Emma asked, sifting Henry on her hip.

"This way," Baelfire replied, moving in the direction of a set of oak doors. He quickly pushed the pain away to the back of his mind.

The Savior and the pirate shared a look but followed nonetheless. The four maneuvered the winding corridors for quite a while before Killian finally spoke. "I think we're lost."

Baelfire didn't replied as he continued to watch past difference corridors, randomly turning in places that was making Killian's head spin.

"Neal," Emma said finally. "I think we are lost."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the group came to rest in front of a set of large mahogany doors. Emma frowned as she could pick up the sound of people talking from the other side of the door.

"How the hell did you find this place?" Hook wondered.

"I don't know," Bae replied, resting his hands on the doors. He paused for a moment before pushing them open.

The conversation on the other side of the door seized. Emma looked in, noticing that everyone was there: her parents, Regina, Gold and Belle, as well as the four from Camelot. She didn't recognize some of the people, however. She quickly assumed that they were the Knights of the Round Table.

"Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin said as he limped forward, his expression one of shock.

"Papa," Baelfire grinned as he ran over and embraced his father.

Emma smiled before frowning at the look of shock on Arthur and Gwen's faces. They looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"What happened, son?" the former Dark One asked.

"Magical backlash," Emma replied, walking into the room. She grinned at the look of shock on her parent's faces. Regina's eyes, however, zeroed in on Henry, who giggled.

"Ma," the two year old said before wiggling. Emma smiled as she sat him on his feet and watched as he walked directly in Regina's waiting arms.

"Hello, Henry," the former Evil Queen smiled wetly. The two year old giggled again.

Snow hesitantly stepped forward, her eyes wide and full of tears. "Emma?" she whispered.

Emma smiled. "Hi, Mom," she replied, tears in her eyes.

Snow let out a strangled laugh before she pulled her daughter into a hug. Emma eagerly returned it, gently wrapping her arms around her mother. She was careful not to wake the little bundle that was her brother. Not even a moment later, she felt her Dad's arms wrap around her as well, holding his family close. Bae watched the scene with a smile. He looked over at Regina, who was holding a sleeping Henry to her chest. The Queen was gently swaying back and forth, humming lightly under her breath. Bae was broken out of his thoughts when someone's hand came to rest on his arm. He turned and frowned when Queen Guinevere threw her arms around him and promptly began to sob. Instinctively, he placed his own arms around her shoulders and gently patted her on the back. He knew he should have felt extremely awkward but he wasn't. In fact, he felt completely at ease. The feeling didn't sit well with him.

Fortunately, Arthur overcame his shock and gently pried his crying wife off of the confused young man. The King cleared his throat awkwardly. "How did you get here?"

Bae blinked as he noticed the tears in Arthur's eyes. A feeling of uneasiness crept into his stomach. Something wasn't adding up. "Leon found us," he replied. "The four of us ended up in a village called Ealdor."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You came across my village?"

Bae nodded. "Your mother offered us a ride after we told her everything," he explained. "We came across Leon while we were on our way to Camelot. He gave us the stone to get here."

"Which reminds me," Killian said. He looked Bae in the eyes. "How did you even know how to use that stone?"

Baelfire opened his mouth to replied but found he didn't _know_ how he knew. He frowned. He had just acted on instinct.

"Magic," Merlin smiled as he walked forward. "The magic of this world is instinctual. There are times when you don't even have to think." To prove his point, he conjured a small bird made of fire.

"Merlin!" Gwen exclaimed.

Merlin's eyes went wide as he quickly dropped the spell and turned to look at Baelfire. Bae simple smiled at his uneasiness. He wordlessly reached into his cloak and pulled out his dagger. Merlin took a hesitant step towards him, examining the place where a name _should_ have been.

"Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin whispered, almost hopeful.

"The backlash caused a block on the Darkness," Baelfire replied. "I don't know how but I have no access to it." He paused for a moment. "I don't even feel it."

"So you have no magic?" Belle asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't go that far," Gaius replied as he walked forward. He was smiling and looked extremely happy and relieved. Baelfire pushed back the strong urge to hug the man. The pain behind his eyes sharpened again.

"What do you… Oh!" Arthur said, cutting his own statement off. He looked over at the age-reverted Dark One, his face turning a shade of green.

"We are obviously missing something," Emma complained, finally emerging from the embrace of her parents. She gave Bae a questioning look. He simply shrugged in response.

Gaius reached into his robe and produce a small vial of a golden potion. He held it out to Bae, who looked at the man in confusion. Before he could even question the older man, his Papa stepped forward, snatching the vial from the Court Physician.

"We already discussed this, dearie," the former Dark One sneered.

"We didn't actually," Gwen replied as she stepped forward. "You continued to shoot the topic down. You would never even let us get a word in."

Rumpelstiltskin glared at the Queen. "He's not taking it," he hissed.

Behind his father, Baelfire frowned. What the hell were they talking about? "Papa?" he questioned.

"He has every right to know," Gwen countered, her temper raising.

"He's my son!" the Spinner snared.

"He's our friend!" the Queen snapped back.

"What the bloody hell are you lot on about?" Killian questioned, feeling extremely lost. "You've only just met the lad."

"I suggest you stay out of this, Captain," Camelot's Queen countered calmly. "You don't know what you are talking about."

The pirate stepped back in shock, clearly not expecting the retort or hostility. Emma looked around her and notice that only she, Neal, and Killian looked confused. Everyone else looked extremely troubled.

"What _the hell_ is going _on_?" Baelfire shouted, getting everyone's attention.

Everyone in the room stilled as the young man's eyes flashed bright gold. Emma stepped back in surprise. She almost expected Neal to suddenly attack Merlin, who looked equally as shocked. Baelfire looked around at the occupants of the room, the bright swirl of magic never once retreating from his eyes. All everyone could do was stare.

"He needs to know," Gaius said finally, looking at Rumpelstiltskin, who was clenching the potion tightly.

"What do I need to know?" Bae questioned, his gold eyes flashing again. The occupants of the room jumped when the crystal chandelier above their heads exploded. The pain behind his eyes immediately tripled as the shards of crystal rained down on them. His legs buckled and he would have fallen directly to the floor if Gwen hadn't caught him. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain continued to spike. It felt as if someone was driving spikes through his brain. He was vaguely aware of the people around him, shouting in surprise and confusion.

Emma's heart sank as Bae fell. She quickly ran over, resting the young man's head in her lap. "What happened?" she asked frantically.

Gaius was immediately by her side, checking for any injures. "His magic is pushing against the memory potion," he supplied quickly.

"What memory potion?" Emma asked but Gaius ignored her and quickly turned to Rumpelstiltskin.

"I need to give him the counterpotion," he said as he held his hand out.

"I'm not having him remember all of that," the former Dark One hissed. "He's been through enough already."

"If we don't give it to him, he could die," Gaius supplied, taking in the terrified look on the other man's face. "The potion was designed to suppress his memories of Camelot. It also suppressed his magic. Now, that magic is pushing back, trying to break loose." Gaius looked down at the young man that was squeezing his eyes shut. "If his magic continues to push against it, both parts will snap. It _will_ kill him."

Rumpelstiltskin looked lost for a moment before he reluctantly handed Gaius the potion. The Physician quickly turned to Emma. "I need you to hold him still," he said gently.

Emma nodded and gently turned Baelfire's head. Gaius wasted no time in opening his mouth and gently pouring the potion into it. Bae reflexively swallowed and almost instantly relaxed. Emma sighed in relief as his breathing immediately leaved out. She frowned a moment later.

"Why isn't he waking up?" she asked.

Gaius gave her a kind smile. "His body needs time to adjust to the potion. Don't worry, dear. He is merely sleeping."

"Could someone explain what just happened?" Killian asked, his temper high.

Arthur nodded before looking to Gwaine. "Could you have one of the servants prepare a room? We'll explain while he is resting."

Emma frowned. "Shouldn't we wait for Neal to wake up to explain everything?"

Arthur shook his head. "He'll already know what's going on."

Emma and Killian shared a look but neither of them spoke. They simply nodded and watched as Arthur personally carried the unconscious teen to one of the many guest rooms. Emma sighed. She could already tell this day was going to be long.

~~ONCEUPONATIME~~

Baelfire groaned as his consciousness began to surface. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in the dark canopy above him. He frowned, confused at the warmth that was draped across his side. He turned his head slowly, mindful of the headache that was still pounding at his skull. He blinked blurry eyed as he took in the sleeping face of a young blonde girl. He frowned, feeling as if he should know her. He didn't know how long he had been staring when another weight suddenly landed on his chest, startling him. He quickly turned his head and looking into the bright brown eyes of a child.

"Da?" the two year old whispered quietly.

"What?" Bae asked, confused. "Who's 'da'?"

The toddler stared at him for a moment, his own confusion clear on his face. He gently reached up and patted Bae on the cheek.

"Da," he repeated as if making a point.

Bae frowned before gently sitting up, mindful of both the sleeping young woman to his right and the toddler in his lap. He quietly looked around the room. He instantly knew that this was his room. He was back in Camelot. His frown deepened as he thought back. The last thing he remembered was being summoned by the King. His eyebrows creased together as he recalled the surprise and hurt that had washed over him as Uther began accusing him of trying to bring magic to his land.

Bae sighed, running a hand through his hair. He felt a small pat on his cheek, drawing his attention to the child that was still sitting in his lap. His frown deepened. Who exactly were the two people that he had woke up next to? And why in the world was he back in Camelot when Uther had all but banished him?

"Da?" the child whispered again, tears clearly in his eyes this time.

An odd sense of heartbreak hit him as he looked down at the crying child. He bit his lip, completely unsure of how to handle the situation. He awkwardly reached out and brushed away some of the tears on the child's face. He had no idea was he was doing. Which is why he was completely caught off guard as the child buried his face into Bae's chest, his soft cries being muffled by Bae's shirt.

"It's ok," Bae whispered, his instincts taking over as he gently rubbed the child's back. "Don't cry."

Thankfully, the child's cries changed into small hiccups. Bae bit his lip as tears stung his own eyes. Gently, he wrapped his arms around the small child, holding him close to his chest.

"Neal?" he heard a groggy voice whisper.

He turned his head and noticed that the young blonde woman was awake. She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes as she blinked blurredly at him. Her bright green eyes stared into his own and he suddenly felt lost. Something about the young woman was _extremely_ familiar and yet, he could put his finger on how.

"What's wrong with Henry?" she asked, moving over on the bed to sit next to him.

Bae didn't reply. He looked down at the now-calm child who was looking between him and the blonde woman. Said blonde frowned as she realized she wasn't getting an answer.

"Neal?" she whispered.

"Who's Neal?" he asked automatically.

Like a switch, the grogginess disappeared from her face. She stared wide eyed at him, her heart nervously pounding in her chest. "Please tell me you're joking," she whispered.

Bae frowned. He shook his head and instantly regretted it as the blonde woman began to cry. He bit his lip, hard. He was so confused! He had no idea what was going on and now he had two complete strangers crying over him. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his head. With a hiss, he placed his hand over his eyes. Everything was suddenly too much.

Emma blinked back her tears as she saw the look of pain that crossed Bae's features. She quickly pushed back her hurt and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to lie down," she whispered, her voice quivering.

Bae complied and quickly turned to lay on his side, subconsciously cuddling Henry to his chest. Emma was silent for a moment, watching sweat roll down Bae's face as the pained look increased by the second. She bit her lip and gently placed a kiss on his temple, brushing back his hair. As she gently rubbed circles on his back, Bae slowly calmed down. Within a few minutes, he was peacefully laying on his side, Henry looking up at him curiously. Emma had just began to think that he had fallen asleep when he slowly opened his eyes again. She continued to rub his back as he looked around the room before his eyes landed on her.

"Emma?" he whispered, confused.

Emma laughed wetly before nodding. Bae sighed, his arms curling gently around Henry. He blinked and looked down at the toddler, who was watching him with interest. Bae smiled gently.

"Hey, buddy," he whispered.

Henry smiled and buried his face in his father's chest. Bae gently ran a hand through his son's hair.

"What happened?" Emma whispered.

Bae frowned. "The counterpotion temporarily reverts a person's memories back to before they were given the original memory potion." He paused for a moment to draw in a shaky breathe. "It takes a moment for the person's mind to sort everything out."

"But, you remember, right?" Emma asked.

A haunted look crossed Baelfire's face. He nodded. "I remember." He paused for a moment. "Everything," he whispered softly.


End file.
